Situated 200-odd kilometres north of Sydney in New South Wales, Barrington Tops National Park is dominated by a high plateau nestled between two peaks of the Mount Royal Range (itself a spur of the Great Dividing Range). Geologically-speaking, the Park is thought to be the remnants of an extinct volcano, and is estimated to be 300-400 million years old. As such, it was formed before Australia broke away from Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent boasting heavy-hitters such as Africa, Australia, South America, Antarctica and India. Oh, and the Balkans.

This is a special place. It is a Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Site, and is listed as an Important Bird Area. The climate, geography and remoteness of the Park have made it a haven for flora and fauna alike, remaining largely undisturbed by human activity (we’re not so fond of the steep stuff, apparently). You will find a range of both common and rare Australian animals and birds (including some that were previously thought extinct), featuring more than a few Aussie icons (kangaroos, echidnas, kookaburras, platypi and the like).

Given the altitude, dense flora and subalpine climate of the Park, it has alternatively been known as the ‘Kosciuszko of the North’ and the ‘Devil’s Triangle’, the latter on account of the large number of plane crashes in the area. They’re still in there, apparently - one is still yet to be located. We’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Our Barrington Tops adventure was unsupported by vehicles, meaning we carried everything with us on the bikes. For this adventure we opted to stay in accommodation along the way (a good country pub is always so tempting), so our bikepacking was confined to food, water, clothing and equipment. You can read more about what we took along with us in the Road Book.

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