Overview
Book your adventure in advance to experience rugged gorge country, fern-lined gullies, and high elevation forests on The Green Gully Track. Your group will stay in a different heritage hut exclusively each night on this challenging walk in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
- Distance
- 65km loop
- Time suggested
- 4 - 5 days
- Grade
- Grade 5
- Trip Intention Form
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It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.
- Price
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Bookings include 2 to 4 hikers for 5 nights at $900. Additional hikers at $300 per person. Minimum 2 hikers and maximum 6 hikers per booking.
- What to
bring - Clothes for all weather conditions, drinking water, dry bag, first aid kit, food supplies, gps, personal locator beacon, hat, insect repellent, mobile phone, sleeping bag, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, torch
- Bookings
- Book online. Select date of first night only and leave number of nights as default (1).Your booking starts at Cedar Creek Cottage, with the walk starting the next day.The track takes 4 days to complete. You'll be sent a confirmation with your track itinerary for 5 nights from your first date.
Is this walk right for you?
This is a Grade 5 walk. A high level of fitness is required and you should have previous experience hiking in remote bushland. It’s not possible to walk the track alone and all walkers must be over 12 year of age.
Over 4 days you'll walk 65km, averaging 7 to 8 hours a day carrying a backpack with food, water and safety supplies. The terrain is steep and difficult in places and requires you to wade through creeks carrying gear above your head. There’s a 900m descent on day 2, and a 600m climb out on day 4.
For the safety of your group you need to stick to the booking itinerary and walk the track in the correct direction each day to ensure your hut is available to your group as booked each evening.
Arrival: Cedar Creek Cottage overnight
Arrive after 2pm to spend the night at Cedar Creek Cottage and get acquainted with the sights and sounds of this remote setting. Each of the next 4 days will bring you a wildly different adventure, and if you’re lucky, many brush-tailed rock wallaby sightings.
Day 1: Cedar Creek Cottage to Birds Nest Hut
Distance:17.4km
Time suggested: 6-7 hours
On day 1 you’ll need to rise early to begin your walk along the undulating Kunderang trail. It’s mostly a fire trail that follows a long ridge separating Green Gully Creek Gorge from Kunderang Brook Valley. There are spectacular views to the east over the valley, and a lot of tall woodland.
After 17.4km you’ll arrive at Birds Nest Hut on the banks of Brumby Creek. It’s one of many mustering huts and yards built by the O’Keefe family in the 1950s to manage their vast 12,500 hectare property known as ‘Green Gully’. In 2004 this property became part of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Enjoy dinner and an early night to prepare for the steep and challenging descent into the gorge tomorrow.
Day 2: Birds Nest Hut to Green Gully Hut
Distance: 15km
Time suggested: 8 hours
Today you’ll need to follow trail markers that guide you along the ridges. A sharp ridge from Birds Nest Hut brings you to Birds Nest Trig, 1200m above sea level.
Further on, a spectacular rock formation known simply as The Rocks is a great spot for lunch with views looking down Green Gully Creek and across to Paradise and Tooth Rocks in the distance.
After your break it’s time to continue down the ridge to the junction of Twofall and Brumby Creeks. On the remaining 1.5km walk to Green Gully Hut keep a look out for brush-tailed rock wallabies as you squeeze through Brumby Pass where 2 imposing cliff faces almost meet. Enjoy a well-deserved rest at Green Gully Hut.
Day 3: Green Gully Hut to Colwells Hut
Distance: 13.5km
Time suggested: 8 hours
Be prepared for a watery adventure today with more than 20 creek crossings, ranging from ankle to thigh deep. You’ll be navigating and crossing the pristine waters of Green Gully Creek all day.
When you reach Green Gully Canyon there’s a beautiful swimming hole, making it the perfect place for a lunch stop and a swim. This is also where the water level can be thigh to chest deep and you’ll need to carry your pack above you. There’s a marked detour if you don’t want to walk through the canyon but it’s steep and difficult.
This canyon marks the old boundary between the former Green Gully property and the pastoral block owned by the Youdale family.
A trail sign marks the spot where you leave the river to walk on to Colwells Hut. The hut offers a welcome camp to finally dry your shoes and socks for the night in preparation for day 4 which is the most challenging.
Day 4: Colwells Hut to Cedar Creek Lodge
Distance: 17.5kmTime suggested: 8 hours
Today is the most challenging, being mostly uphill including a 600m climb over less than 3km. It’s best to start walking in the cool of the morning and take lots of drinking water. The climb over Colwells Trail has great views over pockets of dry rainforest. Ancient forests like these have World Heritage status in other parts of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
Creek water might be available when you reach Birds Nest Creek but needs to be boiled before drinking. Be mindful of chemical pollutants like sunscreen and insect repellent which are fatally sensitive to the endangered frogs that live here.
You’ll know you’re on the home stretch when Cowells Trail meets Kunderang Trail and you turn right to retrace part of the walk from day 1 back to the comforts of Cedar Creek Lodge.
Departure
After a well-earned rest at Cedar Creek Lodge and a final breakfast in the solitude of this special place it's time to farewell your friends, pack up your gear, and check out by 10am before hitting the road.
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
- Walcha office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6777 4700
- npws.nea@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 188W North Street, Walcha NSW 2354
Park info
- in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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There are 3 areas in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park where you'll need day use vehicle permits: Halls Peak campground and picnic area, Riverside campground and picnic area, and Youdales Hut campground and picnic area. Day use vehicle permits can be bought online or by calling the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757. If camping, permit fees are included in the campground fee.
Contact us for permits
- in Werrikimbe National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Werrikimbe National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.