Coramba Nature Reserve – A Walk in the Rainforest

Experience the unparalleled beauty of the Coramba Nature Reserve on the Coramba Reserve Rainforest Walk. The reserve boasts an enchanting 800-metre return walk that leads you to the serene Orara River. As you meander through the lush rainforest, you’ll be enveloped by the cool canopy of towering old-growth trees.

This rainforest is a rare gem, one of the few remaining stands of lowland rainforest along the Orara River, and has been classified as endangered. All in all, thanks to a dedicated regeneration program, this pristine environment has been protected and preserved for visitors to enjoy.

Birdwatching enthusiasts will delight in the opportunity to spot a variety of native birds in their natural habitat. Keep an eye out for rose-crowned fruit doves, figbirds, noisy pittas, brown cuckoo doves, and white-headed pigeons.

A Bushwalk for the Whole Family

The Coramba Reserve Rainforest Walk is a 0.8-km out-and-back trail that is perfect for birding, camping, and bushwalking. Easy for all ages, this route typically takes around 15 minutes to complete. Whether you’re seeking solitude or a family-friendly adventure, this trail offers the setting to explore year-round.

On entering the rainforest, you’ll be greeted by the majestic yellow carabeen trees, with their tall plank buttresses reaching towards the sky. These buttresses serve a vital role in the rainforest ecosystem, providing stability to the towering trees and creating a cool, sheltered environment for seedlings to thrive. One of the many wonders, the yellow carabeen, which can grow up to 55 meters and live for 800 years.

The trail begins at the edge of the Coramba Recreation Ground on Orara Way. Note, a bushwalk during the early morning or late afternoon is the perfect time to appreciate the beautiful birdsong. Keep an ear out for noisy pittas, wompoo and rose crowned fruit doves, fig birds, and rainforest pigeons. Additionally, don’t forget to look up at the towering tree canopy and down on the ground to spot some vibrant fungi.

The Gumbaynggirr people referred to this area as Burrigarriga plains, a gathering and camping site. Eugene Rudder, the first settler in the region. In the 1880s he hosted a sports day here that attracted around 600 local Aboriginal people.

Coramba is the Gumbaynggirr name for the nearby mountain, meaning “sight of the sea”. If fishing is your thing, the river Orara’s name translates to “home of the perch.”