Lavender Vale Homestead
Kwiambal National Park
Overview
Like neighbouring Lavender Vale Cottage, this hard-roofed accommodation combines a convenient location with many comforts like hot showers, barbecues, heating and air-conditioning.
| Accommodation type | Homestead |
|---|---|
| Where | 2531A Limestone Road, Wallangra, NSW, 2360 - in Kwiambal National Park |
| Bedrooms | 6 |
| Maximum guests | 20 |
| Facilities | Barbecue facilities, drinking water, showers, toilets, electric power, kitchen, plates and cutlery, pots and pans, air conditioning, washing machine, rubbish bin |
| What to bring | Bed sheets, blankets, pillows, towels |
| Please note |
|
With more than enough space for up to 20 people, Lavender Vale Homestead is the best place in Kwiambal National Park to stretch out and relax in comfort. For even bigger groups, you can book it simultaneously with Lavender Vale Cottage and take over the entire area, surrounded by open plains and foraging wildlife.
Bring binoculars for birdwatching – wedge-tailed eagles often soar overhead, and chattering cockatoos are plentiful in the area. Fishing enthusiasts will want to venture over to Macintyre or Severn River in search of Murray cod. There’s swimming and hiking too, lookouts and picnic spots by ironbarks and eucalypts.
After a long day exploring the park, you can retire to Lavender Vale Homestead and take advantage of its kitchen facilities, slow combustion wood heater, and hot showers. There’s even air-conditioning for the warmer months, though resting on the open verandah offers a cool respite for nature-lovers.
The size and position of Lavender Vale Homestead makes it ideal for extended families and adventure groups – indeed, anybody can settle in and make themselves at home in no time.
Map
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Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/accommodation/lavender-vale-homestead/local-alerts
Bookings
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
- Glen Innes office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6739 0700
- npws.ntab@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 68 Church Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370
Park info
- in Kwiambal National Park in the Country NSW region
Kwiambal National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Lavender Vale Homestead.
Getting there and parking
Lavender Vale Homestead is in the northwest precinct of Kwiambal National Park. The homestead is around 1hr 45min drive from Tenterfield and a 1hr 15 min drive from Inverell.
You'll get PIN codes with your booking confirmation to access the keys to the homestead. Contact 13000 72757 if you haven't received your code. Fees may apply for lost keys.
From Tenterfield:
- Travel west along the Bruxner Highway for approximately an hour.
- Turn left on to the Ashford-Bonshaw Road just before Bonshaw and travel south to the small town of Ashford
- From here, travel along Inverell Street in Ashford and turn right on to Limestone Road. Follow this road for 16km and at the intersection of Limestone Road and Sandy Creek Road turn right, and continue on to Kwiambal National Park.
- Continue past the Limestone Caves and turn left on to Macintyre Falls Road.
- The entrance to Lavender Vale Precinct has a post and rail fence, and is directly opposite the intersection with Lemon Tree Flat Road. Access to the homestead is through the locked gate with the ‘Authorised Personnel Only’ sign.
From Inverell:
- From the Gwydir Highway follow the signs at Mansfield Street and turn right on to Byron Street. Travel north along Byron Street which turns into Ashford Road and passing Kamilaroi Park on your left. Alternatively, take the Jardine Road bypass on the western side of town to reach Ashford Road.
- Travel north along Ashford Road for about an hour, and once at Ashford turn left on to Frazer Street.
- Follow Frazer Street as it turns on to Wallangra Road and head west to the intersection with Sandy Creek Road.
- Turn right on to Sandy Creek Road and follow for 6km until the intersection with Limestone Road.
- From here turn left and continue on to Kwiambal National Park.
- Continue past the Limestone Caves and turn left on to Macintyre Falls Road.
- The entrance to Lavender Vale Precinct has a post and rail fence, and is directly opposite the intersection with Lemon Tree Flat Road. Access to the homestead is through the locked gate with the ‘Authorised Personnel Only’ sign.
Road quality
There's no vehicle access from the homestead to the river.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Off-street parking is available for many vehicles at Lavender Vale Homestead.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Kwiambal National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
Between the warmer months of September and March, spectacular wildflower displays decorate the bush beneath white cypress pines.
Summer
The many swimming opportunities, including rivers, secluded beaches, and even a plunge pool, makes Kwiambal a terrific destination in the height of summer.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
16.9°C and 30.6°C
Highest recorded
41.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
2.7°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
-6.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
June
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
160mm
Facilities
- 2 lounge rooms
- 6 bedrooms
- 1 bathroom with hot shower and bath.
- 1 separate hot shower and 2 separate toilets.
- Bedding configuration: 1 queen bed, 2 king single bunk beds plus 1 single bunk bed, 2 king single beds, 3 king single beds, 2 king single beds, 5 king single beds, 1 single sofa bed.
- Dining table and chairs.
- There is no television, DVD or stereo.
- There is no telephone at the homestead. There is mobile phone coverage for Telstra phone customers but limited to no coverage for other phone providers.
- Please leave the property clean and tidy with all kitchen items washed up and put away. Additional fees may be charged for any extra cleaning required or missing/broken items.
- Cleaning products, toilet paper and garbage bags are provided.
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Barbecue facilities
There is an outdoor wood barbecue and an inside wood fire.
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
- Wood barbecues (firewood supplied)
Drinking water
Tank water is available but you’ll need to treat or boil it before drinking.
Showers
- Hot showers
Electric power
The homestead uses mains power. Please leave your personal electrical devices, including hairdryers and electric blankets, at home and use only the electrical devices provided in the homestead. The use of smartphone and computer chargers is accepted.
Kitchen
Gas stove and oven. 2 fridges with freezer, microwave, toaster and kettle.
Plates and cutlery
Pots and pans
Air conditioning
Washing machine
With clothes line/rack. Bring your own washing powder.
Rubbish bin
Please take any excess garbage with you. Bin bags are provided.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
Assistance may be required to access this area as there are some steps.
Prohibited
- Amplified music is not permitted.
- Unregistered vehicles or motorbikes are not permitted.
Gathering firewood
Generators
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Lavender Vale Homestead is in Kwiambal National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal cultural heritage
Kwiambal takes its name from the aboriginal people of the Ashford district. Rich in food, water and materials, the area provided a year-round living environment for their ancestors, with sacred sites and hunting grounds spread throughout the park.
Animals
There are five rare or threatened plant species in the park: severn wattle, Rodd’s star hair, caustic vine, daisy bush and toadflax. Feel free to look, but please be careful not to damage the plants. In the warmer months of September to March, the wildflowers bloom throughout the bush. Like its flowers, Kwiambal is home to dozens of notable animal species, including 32 types of reptile, 11 frogs, and 30 species of mammal. Some 18 species are threatened or endangered, including koalas, squirrel gliders, and five-clawed worm skinks. There are also an astonishing 101 types of bird, making the park a hot spot for avid birders. Keep an eye out for painted honeyeaters, barking owls, hooded robins, and diamond firetails.
- Dungeon lookout Where Severn River enters a steep gorge, you’ll find The Dungeon, with this lookout offering superb views down into the swell, particularly after rain.
- Limestone Caves walking track Limestone Caves walking track is a short, easy walk in Kwiambal National Park, near Ashford. It’s popular with families keen to explore the caves, spot the local bats and enjoy a picnic.
- Macintyre Falls lookout Adjacent to a well-equipped picnic area, Macintyre Falls lookout offers scenic views over the river, with nearby swimming, hiking and fishing opportunities.
- Slippery Rock walking track Slippery Rock walking track in Kwiambal National Park, near Inverell, offers spectacular gorge views as well as fishing, birdwatching and vibrant wildflowers in spring.
Historic heritage
The flat areas of the park have been subjected to farming of tobacco, giving way to cereal crops and the mining of various minerals and sapphires. Unsurprisingly then, there are a number of historical landmarks within the park, including tobacco-drying sheds, woolsheds, fruit trees, storage sheds, and the remains of a house. History enthusiasts will want to seek these out on a visit.
Native rainforest
Kwiambal contains 15 per cent of the native dry rainforest left in NSW. The vegetation is dominated by white cypress pines, silver-leaved ironbarks, and tumbledown gums. Unfortunately, much of the planning area has been subjected to logging in the past, though considerable regeneration makes it a worthy destination for nature-lovers.
- Dungeon lookout Where Severn River enters a steep gorge, you’ll find The Dungeon, with this lookout offering superb views down into the swell, particularly after rain.
- Junction walk Junction walk offers a stroll through ironbarks and pine trees to the meeting of Severn and Macintyre rivers, with swimming, picnicking, and birdwatching opportunities.
- Limestone Caves walking track Limestone Caves walking track is a short, easy walk in Kwiambal National Park, near Ashford. It’s popular with families keen to explore the caves, spot the local bats and enjoy a picnic.
- Macintyre Falls lookout Adjacent to a well-equipped picnic area, Macintyre Falls lookout offers scenic views over the river, with nearby swimming, hiking and fishing opportunities.
- Slippery Rock walking track Slippery Rock walking track in Kwiambal National Park, near Inverell, offers spectacular gorge views as well as fishing, birdwatching and vibrant wildflowers in spring.