On top of a remnant ancient volcano on the east coast of Australia lays arather vast and unusual forest. Known as Mount Warning or Wollumbin, it now boasts a living Gondwanan rainforest and has been nicknamed 'Australia's Green Cauldron'.
The landscape and ecosystems found here were formed by the land collapsing as the volcano erupted and includes World Heritage-listed parks. This extensive rainforest stretches from the Gold Coast to Byron Bay and across towards the Great Dividing Range.
You can walk through unspoilt tracts of ancient forest, immerse yourself in the Australian Aboriginal cultural experience and spot rare and special birds and animals.
Some of the birds and animals you might be lucky enough to see here are only found in this area, including the rare wompoo pigeon, rufous scrub-bird and Albert's Lyrebird which you can hear when wandering along the appropriately named Lyrebird Track.
For people who like to experience untouched places by foot, this is definitely the place for you. There are plenty of well-marked tracks meandering through sub-tropical rainforest into National Parks or you can take the O'Reilys Tree Top Walk where you can explore the vine-lined canopy.
Australia is well-known for its unusual and sometimes quite odd animals. When you visit the Green Cauldron you can share your picnic with kangaroos and koalas as well as the lesser-known squirrel gliders and spotted-tail quolls.
The Border Rangers National Park is where you will find Australia's highest concentration of marsupial species, including the platypus, bandicoots, echidnas, pademelons and flying-foxes.
If you enjoy outdoor adventure activities you won't be disappointed. Australian's Green Cauldron offers the opportunity to tramp through thick ancient rainforest, rock climb in the Mount French National Park, scale up Mt Maroon, Mt Cordeaux and Mt Barney for a to-die-for view across the ranges and distant volcanic plugs and swim in waterfalls and pristine creeks hidden away in the forest.
This eco-destination isn't all about amazing natural environments, there are also local hinterland towns and villages to visit and Aboriginal cultural experiences to check out, all of which will give you wonderful insights into Australia's history.
Top Image Credit: © Ian Baker
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