Sheepstation Creek: Camping in the Ancient Border Ranges Rainforest!

Trip #13

Booked site Friday, Saturday. Take Wotty to work Fri AM, leave for Sheepstation Creek before dark. 2 hour trip, leave 15:15, sun sets 17:15. Tight.

Thu AM, pull Wotty from rear of shed, charge Lion battery, fill water tank, chill fridge. Thu PM, load fridge, pack gear, run checklist. Always fill car with fuel on way home.

Fri AM, hook up car, park for solar power. 15:15, drive, arrive, setup, eat, sleep. Sat AM, walk. Maps pre-downloaded, Garmin fr945 on wrist.

• More on Border Ranges National Park here
• Sheepstation Creek camping
• Alltrails: Walks in Border Ranges

Arriving under the cloak of night, with descending Venus as our only witness. we made camp in obscurity for a duet of nights

As we strolled through the forest in the early hours of Saturday, a spectrum of vividly colored fungi caught our eye.

Beneath the canopy of the rainforest lies a world bursting with brightly coloured fungal life, from intricate mycelial networks to towering mushrooms, a testament to the incredible diversity of this unique ecosystem.

Water falling, unceasing, like life itself: Brushbox Falls, Border Ranges

Looking Eastward from “the pinnacle”, to the coast

Jane Austin said “Home is not a place, but a feeling”. For us, that feeling comes wherever we park the Wotty.

As Saturn ascended into the night sky, we watched as the clouds hinted at an impending cool change, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the moon.

The roots of the Antarctic beech endure, gnarled and unyielding, a testament to the centuries that have passed.

Westward, the Collins Creek Valley stretches towards Woodenbong, with Mt. Lindsay and Mt. Barney in the distance.

Beneath the cloak of the rainforest, amidst the emerald hue, a sudden burst of vibrant fungi

Despite the scarce sunlight that penetrated the forest’s canopy, our battery remained charged, which kept our refrigerator cold. However, I learned the hard way that encountering the giant stinging tree wasn’t worth it. I suspect that the lack of maintenance and subsequent closure on the Booyung Trail was due to the proliferation of these trees, which were flourishing in a sunny gap created by a fallen tree. I noticed that the track clearing stopped at the point where I stopped… at the stinging trees.

On Sunday morning, we took the loop back home. Although the route was shorter, the duration was much longer. Our journey led us to Bar Mountain and then down to Uki, where we savoured great coffee at “The Village and Co.” From there, we made our way to Stokers Siding, and finally to our humble abode.

total of 40 nights.