Type

Picnic areas

Where

Border Ranges National Park in North Coast

Accessibility

Medium

Entry fees

Park entry fees apply

Opening times

Antarctic Beech picnic area is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.

What to
bring

Clothes for all weather conditions, drinking water, sunscreen

Please note

• This park is in a remote location. Please be well-prepared and tell a family member or friend about your travel plans.
• Consider having reasonably full fuel tanks before arriving, as there are no service stations near the park. The closest fuel is at Kyogle, Nimbin or Mount Burrell.
• There is limited mobile reception in this park

Picnic amongst the dark green canopies and gnarled trunks of ancient Antarctic beech trees at Antarctic Beech picnic area in Border Ranges National Park.

This is a great place to stop and rest if you’re camping, bushwalking or car touring, as there are picnic tables as well as wood barbecues and toilets. Or, just sit down with a thermos and enjoy a cuppa. Here, you can relax, recharge, and enjoy expansive views north across the Lost World wilderness area to the Queensland border and Lamington National Park and beyond.

Be sure to bring your binoculars and camera if you enjoy birdwatching, wildlife-spotting and photography. Pademelons and bandicoots graze around the picnic area in the early mornings and evenings, and interesting native birdlife you may see include lyrebirds, sooty owls, fruit doves, noisy pitas, green catbirds, honeyeaters and olive whistlers. Dingoes can also sometimes be seen and heard, most often in the early morning.

During springtime, beech orchids bloom high on the trunks and branches of the trees, while in summer the Illawarra flame tree can be spotted glowing red amongst the dark green canopy.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info