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• Lismore to Nimbin - Rainforest and Waterfall

Travel through the lush rainforest past historic protest sites and see one of the regions most spectacular waterfalls.

Click here to print or download a copy of the Lismore to Nimbin Scenic Drive. Content and images supplied courtesy of the Lismore Visitor Information Centre

Highlights:

The Channon
The Channon Markets (2nd Sunday of the month)
Channon Tavern
Terania Creek Picnic Area
Protesters Falls
Mt Nardi
Nimbin Rocks
Nimbin Candle Factory
Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Centre

Driving Directions:

Lismore to The Channon

Depart Lismore Visitor Information Centre turning left along Molesworth Street. Turn left at the third roundabout at Woodlark Street, crossing over the Wilson River. Turn right at the first roundabout onto Bridge Street.
Turn left at the first roundabout into Terania Street, then take the first turn right after the railway bridge into Tweed Street and continue along Dunoon Road. Take a left turn to The Channon just before the township of Dunoon. This is a 20 km scenic drive through macadamia and stone fruit orchards.
The Channon

This pretty little village is set in the foothills of Nightcap Ranges. The Channon is home to the original North Coast craft market & after 30 years their ‘make it, bake it or grow it' philosophy still holds firm. The market is held on the 2nd Sunday of each month and many locals and visitors come to enjoy wonderful homemade cuisine & hand crafted goods. With up to 250 stalls, the market is one of the biggest & most popular in regional NSW. Great times to visit the market are between 9am & 3pm. The Old Butter Factory on the banks of Terania Creek has been transformed into the heritage-listed Channon Tavern, a bar where visitors & locals mix. They host live entertainment on market day & Open Mic every 4th Sunday of the month.

The Channon to Protestors Falls

Travel 15 km along the winding Terania Creek Road to the World Heritage-listed Nightcap National Park (15km of unsealed road, approx 30 minutes drive).
Protestors Falls

Terania Creek Picnic Area, the scene of the historic protests to stop logging, is located at the end of Terania Creek Rd. From the main car park take the easy 1.4km walk that winds its way through Bangalow Palms to the base of Protesters Falls (45 minute return). The falls are named after the protesters whose anti-logging campaign in the late 1970s led to the declaration of the National Park in 1983 and generated world wide awareness of the need to preserve our natural environments. Swimming is not permitted in the area as it is the home to the endangered Fleay’s Barred Frog.

Protestors Falls to Mt Nardi

Backtrack to The Channon, turning right towards Nimbin along Tuntable Creek Rd. When this road terminates at the T intersection, turn right along Newton Drive towards Mount Nardi.
Mt Nardi

Take one of the beautiful nature walks including Mt Matheson (3km, 1.5 hours) this walk heads out through the lush rainforest encircling Mt Matheson. The Pholis Gap and Historic Nightcap tracks split off from this walk. Pholis Gap walk (4km 1.5 hours) meanders through the rainforest for 1km before splitting off the Mt Matheson Loop and descending towards the escarpment edge. Drier vegetation dominated by grass trees & New England Blackbutt typify this walk which also offers views of Mt Warning and surrounding valleys. Please note that this section of the park has received less maintenance than other sections.

Mt Nardi to Nimbin

Backtrack from Mt Nardi and continue along Tuntable Falls Rd towards Nimbin.

Nimbin was once a sleepy little dairying village. Today Nimbin is known and famous for being a hippy destination and alternative lifestyle capital. Nimbin shot to fame when it hosted the 1973 Aquarius Festival, attracting students, hippies and visionaries from all over Australia. Many of them stayed on to live the dreams and ideology of Aquarius and to sow the seeds for today’s vibrant community.

Nimbin to Lismore

Once you have taken in the sites of Nimbin return to Lismore (30km) via Nimbin Road, where you can view Nimbin Rocks on the right as you leave the town. The towering Nimbin Rocks are estimated to be 20 million years old & are of great significance to the traditional owners from the Bundjalung Nation and for this reason access is restricted.