Point Lookout 1564 metres - New England National Park

The 67,303 hectare New England National Park is located on the Northern Tablelands in the New England Region of New South Wales & was created in May 1935. It was added to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia in 1986 & the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.

The park consists of impressive cliffs, rugged ridges, spurs and streams. To the west the Nymboida, Guy Fawkes & Styx Rivers drain across the tablelands. To the east is the thickly forested Bellinger River valley. Point Lookout at 1,563 metres above sea level is the second tallest mountain in the region & one of the highest places north of the Snowy Mountains.

The park lies within the Eastern Australian temperate forests eco region & is noted for the wide variety of plant and animal species. The diverse vegetation in the park includes sub-tropical, warm temperate and cool temperate rainforest in the higher altitudes. There are also areas of sclerophyll forest, sub-alpine woodland, heathland & swampland. In the eucalpyt forests Brush box, Sydney blue gum and Tallowwood predominate. Estimates of the number of different plant species are upwards to around 1,000 including snow gums, Antarctic beech, tree ferns and red cedars.

Dingos, koalas, tiger quolls, common bentwing bats, brown antechinuses & northern brown bandicoots are some of the mammals found in the park.

At least 100 species of birds have been recorded. Larger species include the wedge-tailed eagle, greater sooty owl, sulphur-crested cockatoo & superb lyrebird. Eastern whipbirds, eastern bristlebirds, crimson rosellas, Australian king parrots and several kinds of honeyeaters also inhabit the forests. It also supports one of five remaining populations of rufous scrub-birds, as well as flame and pale-yellow robins, paradise riflebirds, green catbirds, regent bowerbirds & Australian logrunners.

The Cunnawarra National Park adjoins the New England National Park on the north-western boundary.