Rainforest walking track

Robertson Nature Reserve

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Overview

An easy walk along Rainforest walking track in Robertson Nature Reserve, near Wollongong, is the perfect way to recharge the batteries. Stroll under the rainforest canopy and enjoy birdwatching and wildlife spotting along the way.

Distance
0.6km loop
Time suggested
15 - 30min
Grade
Grade 1
What to
bring
Drinking water, hat, sunscreen
Please note
  • Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go birdwatching
  • The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.

Prepare yourself for a journey back in time as you enjoy a leisurely stroll along on this easy walking track.

Stroll along the wheelchair-friendly walking track and surround yourself with the dense rainforest that once covered the landscape around Robertson. Looking up at the sheer density of the vines, you can see why the Yarrawa Brush, as it it’s known, was so difficult to penetrate for early explorers.

If you’re keen on birdwatching, keep your binoculars handy and you might just spot Lewin's honeyeaters, white-browed scrub hens, crimson rosellas, wonga pigeons or satin bowerbirds. You’re sure to at least hear the distinctive whip crack call of the eastern whipbird.

Look out for wombat burrows, and if you look really closely, you might even notice the delicate rainforest snails and other invertebrates picking their way through the ferns and mosses.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Map


Map legend

Map legend

Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/robertson-nr-rainforest-walking-track/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Rainforest walking track.

Track grading

Grade 1

Learn more about the grading system Features of this track
  • Distance

    0.6km loop

  • Time

    15 - 30min

  • Quality of markings

    Clearly sign posted

  • Experience required

    No experience required

  • Gradient

    Flat

  • Steps

    No steps

  • Quality of path

    Well-formed track

Getting there and parking

Get driving directions

Get directions

    Rainforest walking track starts at the northwestern corner of Robertson Nature Reserve. To get there:

    • Once in the township of Robertson, turn onto Meryla Street from the main road.
    • Follow to the end then turn left onto South Street
    • Continue until you see the sign on your right

    Parking

    Parking is available on South Street.

    Best times to visit

    There are lots of great things waiting for you in Robertson Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.

    Autumn

    Breathe in the crisp fresh air as you walk through the dense rainforest.

    Spring

    Take a short stroll through the rainforest and discover its ancient secrets.

    Summer

    Escape the crowded beaches and enjoy cool temperatures under the rainforest canopy.

    Winter

    Rug up and experience the beauty of the misty rainforest in winter.

    Weather, temperature and rainfall

    Summer temperature

    Average

    11°C and 26°C

    Highest recorded

    25.5°C

    Winter temperature

    Average

    2°C and 14°C

    Lowest recorded

    2.2°C

    Rainfall

    Wettest month

    February

    Driest month

    September

    The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day

    549.7mm

    Maps and downloads

    Safety messages

    Bushwalking safety

    If you're keen to head out on a longer walk or a backpack camp, always be prepared. Read these bushwalking safety tips before you set off on a walking adventure in national parks.

    Mobile safety

    Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

    Accessibility

    • Assistance may be required to access this area

    Prohibited

    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

    Rainforest walking track is in Robertson Nature Reserve. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    Historic rainforest

    Rainforest walking track, Robertson Nature Reserve. Photo: Michael Van Ewijk

    The dense rainforest you’ll find at Robertson Nature Reserve once covered 2500ha of the red basalt soil area around Robertson. The Yarrawa Brush, or ‘Brush’, as it was called by the early explorers who were trying to forge a route from the highlands to the coast, was first penetrated by Charles Throsby in 1817. However, the area was not significantly cleared until the 1860s, when settlement around Robertson began. But by the early 1900s, more than 80 per cent of the Yarrawa Brush was gone. Today, only about 500ha of fragmented patches survive, making Robertson Nature Reserve a special window into the past as well as an important place for conservation.

    Natural wonders

    Rainforest, Robertson Nature Reserve. Photo: Michael Van Ewijk

    Robertson Nature Reserve is a tiny 5.3ha reserve, but it’s packed with natural wonders. It conserves one of the largest and least disturbed areas of rainforest remaining from the Yarrawa Brush. Step inside this dense cool or warm temperate rainforest and you’ll find unique shrubs, soft tree ferns, numerous vines and intricate fungi. Look up into the canopy at trees like sassafras, featherwood, coachwood and possum wood. Watch for the flashes of crimson rosellas darting through the trees or listen for the whip crack call of the eastern whipbird.

    • Rainforest walking track An easy walk along Rainforest walking track in Robertson Nature Reserve, near Wollongong, is the perfect way to recharge the batteries. Stroll under the rainforest canopy and enjoy birdwatching and wildlife spotting along the way.

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