The Residence
New England National Park
Overview
Located at Banksia Point, just near the striking views at Point lookout, The Residence is ideal cottage accommodation for families and friends wanting to explore.
| Accommodation type | Cottage |
|---|---|
| Where | 1316 Point Lookout Road, Ebor, NSW, 2453 - in New England National Park |
| Bedrooms | 4 |
| Maximum guests | 10 |
| Facilities | Picnic tables, barbecue facilities, drinking water, showers, toilets, electric power, outdoor furniture, indoor fireplace, kitchen, plates and cutlery, pots and pans, rubbish bin |
| What to bring | Food supplies, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, firewood |
| Please note |
|
Located at Banksia Point, The Residence offers a cosy weekend retreat and a place to recharge. There’s plenty of room in this fully-furnished cottage, making it an ideal accommodation option for a family holiday or a group looking for a base to explore.
You could easily gaze out the large windows all day, admiring the leafy green forest outlook, yet there are spectacular lookouts and the magnificent World Heritage Gondwana rainforests right on your doorstep to discover.
Pack a picnic and head off on Wrights lookout walking track to experience the views from the open rocky plateau. In spring, you’ll also be treated to colourful displays of wildflowers in bloom.
After a peaceful night’s sleep, wake the kids for a sunrise experience they won’t forget. Looking out over the mist-covered wilderness at Point lookout, there’s no better way to start a new day.
Map
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/the-residence/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
- Coffs Harbour office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6652 0900
- npws.coffscoast@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 4/32 Edgar St, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Park info
- in New England National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
New England 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 The Residence.
Getting there and parking
On entering New England National Park:
- Continue on Point Lookout Road
- The Residence is located at Banksia Point, approximately 14km along Point Lookout Road, just before you arrive at Point lookout.
A pin code to access the property will be emailed in your booking confirmation. If you have not received or have lost your code, please contact 1300 072 757.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- 4WD required in wet weather
Parking
Parking is available at The Residence for three vehicles. Additional vehicles may park in the adjacent picnic area.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in New England National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Enjoy the fresh air walking during the day, and cosy nights by the fire at Toms Cabin.
Spring
Climb up to Wrights lookout and see the colourful display of wildflowers.
Summer
Immerse yourself in the cool air and vibrant green of the Antarctic beech rainforest covered in moss.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
10°C and 24°C
Highest recorded
32.8°C
Winter temperature
Average
1°C and 12°C
Lowest recorded
-7.1°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
June
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
286.1mm
Facilities
- Room 1 sleeps: 1 queen bed.
- Room 2 sleeps: 1 queen bed plus a day bed.
- Room 3 sleeps: 1 queen bed.
- Room 4 sleeps: 1 king bunk and 1 king single bed.
- Only mattresses are provided. It can get quite cold so come prepared for cold weather.
- Bathroom with shower.
- Lounge and dining seating for 10 people.
- Please leave the property clean and tidy, with cutlery and cooking utensils washed and put away or additional cleaning fees may be charged.
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
There's a gas barbecue on the deck outside the cottage.
There are also wood barbecues and picnic tables in the picnic area next to the cottage . Fires are permitted in the wood barbecues only, please bring your own firewood.
Drinking water
Tap water is sourced from a nearby spring and is not treated or monitored. Please boil or treat water before drinking.
Showers
- Hot showers
Electric power
Outdoor furniture
Indoor fireplace
Slow combustion heater.
Kitchen
Fridge, stove, microwave, toaster, electric jug.
Plates and cutlery
Pots and pans
Rubbish bin
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
Assistance may be required to access this area as there are some stairs on entry.
Prohibited
Amplified music is not permitted.
Gathering firewood
Firewood may not be collected from the park, so you’ll need to bring your own supply if using the wood barbecues in the picnic area.
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
The Residence is in New England National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal cultural heritage
The park straddles the traditional boundaries of the Dunghutti, Anaiwan and Gumbaynggirr People, and covers an area of great spiritual and cultural significance to local Aboriginals. Point Lookout in particular is a sacred location, known to Aboriginal people as 'Berarngutta', which roughly translates as 'prohibited area'. It is considered a men-only place, and today many Aboriginal women choose to continue this tradition and avoid visiting the area.
- Point lookout Point lookout is a must-see destination for visitors to New England National Park, offering panoramic views across World Heritage rainforest to the ocean in the distance.
Amazing wildlife
The park's altitudinal range, from 150m above sea level to 1563m, makes it a superb habitat for a diversity of wildlife. You might see kangaroos, wallabies, gliders, possums and the inquisitive spotted-tailed quoll. Adults and children alike will love watching the resident lyrebird at Banksia Point. Yet with over 100 species of birds in the park, there are plenty of opportunities for birdwatching. You might spot white-throated tree creepers and rufous fantails in the open forests, while in winter flowering banksias attract Lewins honeyeaters and eastern spinebills.
- Point lookout walking track It only takes 20 minutes to negotiate the easy Point lookout walking track, but the views from this sealed track, within New England National Park, are truly stunning.
- Wrights lookout walking track Wrights lookout walking track takes you through a lush world of ferns and wildflowers to a rocky plateau with spectacular panoramic views looking down to Bellinger River.
Historic heritage
In 2010, New England National Park celebrated its 75th anniversary as one of NSW's most iconic parks. Its history is a testament to the vision and dedication of several influential New Englanders, notably Philip A Wright and his son Peter. They were deeply impressed by the beauty and grandeur of Point Lookout and recognised the value of the area as a sanctuary for plants and animals. After you see the spectacular views at Point Lookout, take a moment to learn about the history of the park and the visionary people behind its conservation.
Volcanic landscape
The steep cliffs of the plateau edge at New England National Park are the result of at least 5 basalt lava flows from the Ebor volcano, forming a rim over 300m thick. Active until about 18 million years ago, this massive volcano was centred around The Crescent, a semi-circular ridge in the Bellinger Valley, visible from Point Lookout. Subsequent erosion has created the dramatic profile of the escarpment we see today. The Banksia Point circuit provides a close-up view of a basalt flow, and you can see the layers of cliffs north from Point lookout.
- Point lookout Point lookout is a must-see destination for visitors to New England National Park, offering panoramic views across World Heritage rainforest to the ocean in the distance.
- Tea Tree Falls walking track Roam through eucalypt forest and beneath hanging moss on Tea Tree Falls walking track, linking Thungutti campground and Toms Cabin in New England National Park.
World Heritage rainforests
The rainforests in New England National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area; the most extensive strip of diverse rainforest anywhere on earth. The World Heritage Area is a direct window into the past and the future, providing a link to the ancient pre-human world and a stunning and irreplaceable record of life on our planet. Discover the ancient Antarctic beech forests below the escarpment edge on trails like Lyrebird walking track.
- Snow Gum walk Snow Gum walk in New England National Park offers a scenic stroll through World Heritage rainforest. Just 1km and suitable for all ages, it’s ideal as a quick family outing.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
With a complex mimicking call and an elaborate courtship dance to match, the superb lyrebird is one of the most spectacular Australian animals. A bird watching must-see, the superb lyrebird can be found in rainforests and wet woodlands across eastern NSW and Victoria.
-
Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
With vibrant blue-violet eyes and curious antics, the satin bowerbird is a favourite for bird watching and easy to spot as it forages for food in open forest. Relatively common across eastern Australia, in NSW they’re found in coastal rainforests and adjacent woodlands and mountain ranges.
-
Rufous scrub-bird (Atrichornis rufescens)
The vulnerable rufous scrub-bird is a small, ground-foraging bird that lives only in isolated rainforest areas of south-eastern Australia.
-
Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Plants
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Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)
The blueberry ash is a rainforest shrub which produces blue olive-shaped berries and spectacular bell-shaped flowers, which often appear on the plant together. It is a tall slender shrub or small tree found in rainforest, tall eucalypt forest and coastal bushland in eastern NSW, south-east Queensland and Victoria.
-
Wonga wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana)
The wonga wonga vine is a widespread vigorous climber usually found along eastern Australia. A variation of the plant occurs in the central desert, where it resembles a sprawling shrub. One of the more common Australian native plants, the wonga wonga vine produces bell-shaped white or yellow flowers in the spring, followed by a large oblong-shaped seed pod.
-
Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)
Coachwood trees are Australian native plants that grow in warm temperate rainforests along coastal NSW. Also known as scented satinwood, the mottled grey bark of the coachwood has horizontal markings and a delicate fragrance.