Jan 10, 2012

Nightcap National Park

Nightcap National Park One day, down at Byron Bay, to relieve the obvious monotony of going to the beach every day, we decided on the second or third day to visit a waterfally rainforesty place.

And the place we chose was Minyon Falls in the Nightcap National Park.

The drive there was pleasant, kind of hyper-English as we drove along little country roads under those sort of archy tunnels of trees that are so very nice to drive under. Lots and lots of tree tunnels, and very windy roads in a condition of aged weariness. Then of course there were the extensive macadamia plantations, which were kind of un-English in a counterbalancing way, complemented in that sense by the nice weather.

The road gave way to a dirt track as we entered the National Park and the eucalypts to more exotic woodland and we climbed the valley-side before arriving at the car park. A short walk to the platform at the top of the falls, which weren't really in full flow, but rather a gentle glush across the cliffs which disappeared out of sight across the ledge, with a view below a hundred metres perhaps (but probably not) to matchstick figures beneath wandering around and waving up at us.

We decided to take the walk to the bottom, and so drove down to another car park where there was an idiosynchratic rooster wandering around idiosynchratically with a splendid ruff or comb or whatever, very pleased with himself though no doubt confused to find himself in a rainforest. Perhaps not intelligent enough for confusion we found out as he attacked his reflection in a car hubcap.

The walk itself was warm and steep, and after a couple of km, confusing as it disappeared with limited signage up a tumble of volcanic boulders which we needed to scramble up and over.

We wondered if Mum would make it with her bandaged leg, but she was a trooper and heventually we arrived at a theatre beneath the cliffs where the air turned to rain at the whim of the winds as the glush we saw from above became pulses of mist gliding down to the rocks beneath and the forests behind.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the photos, Neil. You take some breathtaking shots.

    My friends and I have been discussing taking the mountain bikes for a ride at Nightcap. I think you just helped us make up our minds :)

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