Platypus Pool Track

Starting and finishing from the Mooraback campground, some 60 miles east of the town of Walcha and set in the Werrikimbe National Park in New South Wales, this 3-and-a-half-mile loop follows the river Hasting for the most part, as well as tracking through a remnant eucalyptus forest for a while. As you walk along the river, keep a sharp lookout for the elusive and rather strange-looking monotreme, the Platypus. There is a good population of these egg laying mammals here in the river pools although early morning and late afternoon are the best times to spot these shy and extraordinary creatures. If birds are your thing then look out for rarities like the olive whistler, sooty owl and rufous scrub bird all of which live here. This area is also home to the rare parma wallaby, the smallest member of the marsupial genus, the red-necked wallaby and the eastern grey kangaroo as well as bandicoots, so there is plenty of wildlife spotting to be had on this delightful hike. Parking is available at the campsite which also has toilets and picnic areas but there are no facilities on the trail, so take water with you; the river water is not suitable for drinking. This well-signposted trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs, although the terrain is fairly flat there are often obstacles to navigate and some steps and rocks to go up. Children supervised should be fine. Dogs are not allowed and the National Parks of NSW are all no smoking areas. This trail will take around one and a half hours to complete, although caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here. It is graded as a medium, for more information on how we grade trails, please click here. Accessible all year round, it can get rather busy in high season so go early in the day.