Barrington Tops – the perfect destination for sports enthusiasts

If you are planning a trip this year but you’re not sure of where to go, make sure you add Barrington Tops to your list.

Located in north NSW, Barrington Tops is an absolute playground for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. The big drawcard in the area is the Barrington Tops National Park. Part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, Barrington Tops National Park is where volcanic flows shaped the incredible wilderness millions of years ago. 

Enjoy the scenery on one of the many invigorating bushwalks or try one of the great adventure tours which include kayaking, abseiling and mountain biking.

As well as the opportunity to explore the National Park, there are some really cool towns to visit in the area and one of those towns is Gloucester. Located around 260kms from Sydney, Gloucester is a great place to base yourself for exploring the region. Within easy driving distance of the National Park, Gloucester is also not short on things to do.

Things to do in Gloucester, NSW

Gloucester is a great place to base yourself for exploring this wonderful region and is packed full of great things to do. Located at the meeting point of the Gloucester and Barrington rivers, water sports are one of the big draws in the area.

From swimming in the rivers to enjoying some of the amazing waterfalls that flow into the two rivers, there is plenty for the whole family. Take a natural spa in the Barrington River at The Steps rapids or swim with the platypus in the Gloucester River, just out of town.

The rivers are also a great place to try out canoeing and kayaking and there are plenty of places you can rent either.

If you’re the next budding tennis star, you can also give tennis a whirl at the Gloucester Tennis Club that welcomes visitors on their all-weather courts. If you’re feeling inspired by Novak Djokovic’s latest win at Wimbledon – a victory that brought him equal with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 career Grand Slam wins – then give the synthetic grass courts a try.

Djokovic is lining up a fairly unique feat in tennis this year. If he decides to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and he is successful in his bid for a gold medal, he has the potential to close out the ‘Golden Slam’ at the US Open in September. Victory at the US Open, where Djokovic is already the 1.85 favourite with Betway Sports, would mean he would hold all four Grand Slams plus the Olympic title in the same year. Only Steffi Graf in the women’s game has previously achieved this historic milestone back in 1988.

Back to Gloucester and another river-based activity is horse riding. This one is away from the two main rivers and sees you enjoying a horse trek over the mountain trails and streams in the foothills of the Barrington Tops and Cobark Valley. Options include 1 and 2 hour guided trail rides or for the more experienced riders, half and full-day trips.

Gloucester is also a haven for mountain bike enthusiasts and The Steps mountain bike park, located near the rapids we mentioned earlier is a great place to spend the day at the only purpose-built mountain bike park in the region. There’s also the Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge that is held on the second Sunday in September every year and attracts competitors from across the state to compete in a race that includes a 20.4km mountain bike ride, 10.7km kayak and 8.8 km run.

Other activities in and around Barrington Tops

The Barrington Tops region has plenty of activities for the whole family that don’t involve sport and fitness. In 1876 gold fever struck the region, and you can discover fascinating tales on the Copeland Historic Gold Mine Tour of the Mountain Maid Mine.

Dungog’s main street is an urban conservation area, with architectural gems from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Dungog Museum is in the heritage-listed former School of Arts, erected in 1898. The Spanish Mission-style James Theatre is the oldest purpose-built cinema still operating in Australia.

The region is also one of the states great wine growing areas and there are a number of cellar doors that are open to the public where you can sample some of the fine wines from the region. There are also a number of local markets that attract big crowds on the weekends and these are great for purchasing local produce.

The National Park itself is one of the largest temperate rainforests in Australia. The site spans more than 83,000 hectares of unspoiled wilderness that is home to hundreds of species of birds, including lyrebirds and satin bowerbirds, insects and larger animals – a great place to explore and discover some of Australia’s finest wilderness.

Camping sites set in spectacular wilderness locations offer visitors a place to kick back before another day of exploits. There is also a stunning range of four and five-star accommodation options, including rustic cottages, B&Bs and mountain retreats.