along the Dixons Long Point Track

Dixons Long Point track descents into a steep 150 metre deep gorge, crossing the Macquarie River between Orange & Hill End on the NSW Central Tablelands.

Gold mining occurred in the area in the 1800’s, but there is little visible evidence now  and was perhaps associated with more intense mining at nearby areas such as Hill End and Ophir. Once settled, much of the area was cleared for grazing.

The original vegetation comprised of eucalypt dominated open forests and woodlands on the valley slopes of the river gorge, with a narrow band of tall gallery forest of River Oak Casuarina cunninghamiana along the river banks.

These slope communities north and west of the river are low open forest and woodland dominated by Red Box Eucalyptus polyanthemos with occasional Red Stringybark E. macrorhyncha and Kurrajong Brachychiton populneus.