Rocky Creek Dam Dunoon, Lismore NSW Australia
This place is only a short drive of approximately 30km to the north of Lismore on the road to Mullumbimby and makes a great day out for families and or especially naturalists and birders. This enormous area is one of the water catchment areas of the northern rivers and is surrounded by semi tropical rainforest leading up into the famous Night Cap National Park.
For families there are huge lawn maintained areas next to the toilet and bar-b-que facilities and numerous walking tracks and a large concreted walkway over the water course where one can sometimes see Australia’s famous ‘Platypus’. Other walks going through parts of the forest one may see a variety of rare birds and other faunistic elements such as the swamp wallaby, snake neck turtles and rare birds such as Albert’s Lyre Bird, Marbled Frogmouth, Regent Bower Bird and Paradise Rifle Bird among others known to reside or visit this area.
For those interested in butterflies and or odonates i.e. damselflies and dragonflies there are many species especially during late spring and summer. Just along the dam edge there are as many as 20 species of odonate and inside the rainforest there are at least another 10 species.
The facilities as already mentioned include toilets and a bar-b-que area, picnic tables, educational walking tracks and there is ample parking with free entry. Naturalists there are miles and miles of places for walking and exploring but make sure you are properly attired for forest exploration i.e. strong boots, long pants and long sleeved shirts.
This is a great place for families and naturalists to visit, although one needs a vehicle to get there as there is no public transport to this area. If you do not have a vehicle, visits to Rocky Creek Dam maybe possible with a birding or eco-tour group.
Rod Rice
Nature & Travel Books