Page 18 of the Nambucca region visitor guide (2013/14 it
should be said) has a page titled Mystical Paradise. Part of that article (entitled Mystical Paradise) talked about the Yarrahapinni
Lookout and Way Way Forest and said; This
should be top of your list. Interesting
considering it was halfway through the guide.
Mt Yarrahapinni is in Yarriabini National Park one of the entrances to
which was literally just across from the entrance to Grassy Head. Having thoroughly enjoyed our taste of
rainforests from Sea Acres in Port Macquarie we were ready for more rainforest. I will be forever grateful that I read
through to Page 18 (there maybe a time or two that I don’t read the whole of a
visitors guide), this national park is sensational we had a fantastic drive and
walk.
As our visitor guide explained Mt Yarrahapinni rises from
the sea between the Nambucca and Macleay valleys. The drive through Way Way forest was
magnificent. It takes you through
forests of towering flooded gums, palm and hoop pine groves and into pockets of
rainforest. Our drive took us through
these different habitats, over creeks and along excellent 2wd and some 4wd
tracks (4wd due as storm damage had sort of carved the road into little valleys
– these were under repair at the time we went).
We stopped for a snack at the Pines picnic area (named
because of the magnificent stands of hoop pines around it and were treated with
a beautiful sculpture created by the local Aboriginal artists. The boys really enjoyed reading about the
creation of this sculpture and then finding the significant animals and signs
on it. There is a short and easy
rainforest loop walk from this picnic ground and it took us from the hoop pine
stands, through palm groves, into the rainforest and back again.
We continued our drive – stopping on the many creek
crossings (all seemed to be of Way Way Creek) to take some photos – it is hard
to pass up a creek running through lovely rocks surrounded by beautiful
rainforest. The road was eventually sign
posted as 4wd only but it really wasn’t that bad more like a tame roller
coaster with the storm carved bumps adding interest along the way. We made it
to Mt Yarrahapinni and were rewarded with a stunning lookout to the south of
Grassy Head. We were able to take a
different route back, hit the highway, stopped off in Scotts Head for some wine
to go with dinner and still had time to play games with the kids. This was a fantastic day and really added the
icing to our Grassy Head cake.
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