Where

Mann River Nature Reserve in Country NSW

Distance

8km return

Time suggested

3hrs 30min - 4hrs 30min

Grade

Grade 5

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

Please note

• If driving the trail, 4WD is essential due to steep rollovers and rugged terrain. Not suitable for trailers
• The weather in the area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
• There is limited mobile reception in this park
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go bird watching

For unending scenic wilderness views over The Great Dividing Range, head for Tommys Rock lookout and walking track, in beautiful Mann River Nature Reserve, near Glen Innes. The imposing rocky knob is a short drive from Mann River campground and picnic area. Fit bushwalkers will love the challenge of the steep walking track to the summit. Whichever way you get there, the crisp mountain air and panoramic views will take your breath away.

Named after Tommy McPherson, a remarkable Aboriginal man who, legend suggests, was a skilled stockman, bushranger, escaped fugitive and gold digger. If you’re walking the steep track, pause to catch your breath and keep your eyes peeled for signs of Tommy’s secret gold mine.

Brush-tailed rock wallabies, with their distinct cheek stripe, live around the rocks near the lookout. You might also hear the raucous glossy black cockatoos feasting on the nearby she-oaks.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Aboriginal gatherings

Due to its location at the bottom of the range leading to the coast, the reserve would have been a popular place for the Ngarabul People of the northern tablelands as well as the Gumbaynggir People to the south-east. It's believed the Ngarabul People travelled the mountains on a historic route that is known today as Old Grafton Road.

Historic highways and bushranging country

With the discovery of gold and a regular Cobb and Co mail run, the lands of the reserve were once popular hunting grounds of renowned bushrangers such as 'Captain Thunderbolt' and 'Black Tommy' McPherson. Bordering the eastern edge of the reserve, Old Grafton Road was originally a timber getters track used to cart the valuable 'red gold' cedar trees in the 1840s. When the road was widened during the 1860s, Cobb and Co ran a weekly mail service along this road, linking Grafton and Glen Innes.

Roving reptiles and birdlife

This reserve protects a wide range of lizards from the mighty lace monitor, reaching up to 2m in length to the more diminutive blue-tongue lizard. Eastern water dragons are often seen sunning themselves on the riverbanks. With over 50 species of birdlife protected within the reserve, grab your binoculars for sightings of king parrots, yellow-faced honey-eaters and yellow-rumped thornbills. The magnificent raptor birds such as the peregrine falcon can often be seen surfing on mountain thermals. Native mammals you can see include grey kangaroos, wallaroos, pretty-faced wallabies and swamp wallabies.