Located NW of Wingham, this park is 10976ha in size and contains merging
brushwood and moist eucalypt forests. It is situated on Dingo Tops and can be
accessed by road from Wingham on the Elands Road, then left onto Wherrol Flat
road to Wherrol Flat and left again into Dingo Tops Road.
The area now known as Tapin Tops National Park comprises part of Dingo State
Forest 779 and Bulga State Forest 285. None of Knorrit State Forest 767 is
included.
The main features in this park are the Dingo Tops Forest Park and Rowleys
Rock. The former is a large Forestry Commission picnic ground, complete with
barbecues, pit toilets, tables and old forestry equipment. An avenue of Sequoia
pines flanks the road and will certainly possess European heritage values.
Perhaps the jacaranda in the eastern end of the picnic area does not do so. It
is much less well-established.
This picnic area should be maintained and there are two small walking tracks
on either side of the road for walkers to enjoy the forest. Both sections are
rainforest habitats and are well marked so that walkers can identify the types
of trees in the locality. The walk to the north plunges steeply to the creek
below and needs to be re-established. There is a vine thicket over the path and
many of the old steps have gone. The soil is rich red volcanic soil similar to
that found on nearby Bulga and Comboyne plateaux.
Up a steep 4WD road visitors can reach Rowley Flora Reserve 79971 and the
Rowley trig. At 1015m, this point is truly a spectacular view over the
Ellenborough River, across to the Comboyne, the Coorabakh National park and on
to the Middle and South Brother mountains. The road should be closed and a
walking track built that takes a more gradual approach to the summit. At the
base a parking area and picnic facility could be built if and when money is
available.
A clear anomaly in the park boundary is the western incision of Little
Murrays Creek. I am told by the Taree Sub-District that this area will be
managed in conjunction with State Forests, especially as regards fire and weed
strategies. However, the anomaly should be rectified at some stage.
We saw typical birds for the area … Yellow Robins, Superb Lyrebird,
Topknot pigeon, Grey Shrike Thrush, Striated thornbill, White Browed Scrub Wren,
Eastern Rosella, Superb Fairy Wren, Satin Bowerbird … and the bird list
on the drive up from Wingham pleases the birdwatcher too.
Maps: Port Macquarie State Forests, Kokomerican 1:25000, Kerriki 1:25000 and
Bobin 1:25000. Most of the new park is on the Kerriki mapsheet.
