Go with the flow at Northern Rivers retreat

Whipbirds herald the start of my day in Bangalow, New South Wales; their insistent call rousing me from my slumber.

I draw back the curtains in my cabin to catch a glimpse of the early birds. No such luck, but the flood of light reveals a rainforest vista reminiscent of the ancient Gondwanan forests that were once prolific in the Northern Rivers region.

This is not age-old rainforest, but rather new trees shooting up towards the sunshine, planted by the property’s owners Mike and Cathy Tomkins, who are on a mission to regenerate the more than 80ha (200 acres) they call home.

Amaroo, meaning beautiful place, has been a labour of love for the couple who bought the property in 2016.

At first, they camped along the ridgeline under the canopy of countless camphor laurels, which they soon realised were suffocating the native rainforest trees.

Then began a campaign of removing the invasive species and planting in their place 45,000 seedlings and saplings of endemic flora.

At first, the birds left, and the neighbours voiced their scepticism at this massive undertaking.

But now, the new natural order is flourishing; the birds have flocked back, and other animals like koalas and platypus have been sighted on the spring-fed land and in its waterways.

The Tomkins are no longer camping but instead live atop the hill in their new home, overlooking their grazing cattle, clucking hens, thousands of trees (including eucalypts for the koalas), and the four cabins they’ve built so that they can share this piece of Eden with others.

“The accommodation gives us a source of income which helps us to keep planting,” Mike said.

“We're not here for the money. We're here to have people come and enjoy, and then we keep planting. So eventually, this will become its own ecosystem.”

Accommodation at Amaroo.

And what a luxurious ecosystem it is.

The four well-appointed cabins all have ensuites, kitchenettes and wood-fired heaters.

But the showstopper is the central pavilion area, which boasts a crackling fireplace, commercial kitchen, indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces, a heated pool, wood-fired pizza oven and a fire pit set in a modern parterre garden.

Nature complements this human-made beauty with dazzling sunsets on one side of the ridge and warming sunrises on the other. Well-placed swings hang from trees, providing a whimsical place to sit and take in the sweeping views.

From the vantage point of Amaroo, you can also spy the township of Bangalow, especially the red-bricked steeple of St Kevin’s Catholic Church, whose belltower regularly tolls over the cafe-culture-meets-arts-hub village which is thrumming with life below.

Only 15 minutes from Byron Bay, the Bangalow township is where you can easily while away a morning sipping turmeric lattes (or cappuccinos if you prefer), trawling through antique wares, discovering locally-made fashion labels, or devouring all-day-breakfasts like The Woods Cafe’s Summer Hinterland Plate – marinated feta, fresh dressed tomatoes, roast potatoes, poached egg, miso gochujang mushrooms, radish herb salad and Byron Bay haloumi.

Not far from Bangalow (named after the Bangalow palm tree) lives Brazilian-born, but now hinterland local, Cristiano (Cris).

A former travel journalist and avid surfer, Cris fell in love with the Northern Rivers region and now showcases its beauty to visitors under the banner of Rise Up Tours.

Cris picks me up along with some international tourists from the centre of Byron Bay.

A waterfall after recent rainfall.

He’s come straight from the surf, and his surfboard is still in the back of the minivan as he drives us deep into the hinterland to the soundtrack of Ziggy Marley.

He talks about the counterculture that the area is so famous for.

We experience a little of that alternative lifestyle later when Cris takes us to a long-standing hippy commune in the rainforest for dinner – its ageing founder welcoming us in around the fire.

But before we find ourselves sitting in a circle eating rainbow salad while listening to the hum of the didgeridoo, Cris first takes us to a local’s swimming hole for a freshwater dip, with cascading waterfalls that are roaring thanks to recent heavy rains.

Back in the bus, Cris whisks us past macadamia plantations and banana farms to yet another spectacular waterfall.

We stand atop the viewing platform, marvelling at the constant surge of water plummeting 100m over rhyolite cliffs.

After dinner, we are taken to a secret spot in the forest where Cris knows thousands of glow worms will be waiting for us (not worms at all, as it turns out, but the bioluminescent larvae of small flies).

Luminescent fungi also put on an evening light show, as our multi-talented guide pulls out a flute and plays a poetic melody under the canopy of starlight.

Later, I’m tucked up in the linen-sheeted bed back in my cabin at Amaroo, a cup of tea in hand and a sense of gratitude at having such beautiful landscapes to enjoy, just a few hours’ drive from Brisbane. 

The writer travelled courtesy of Amaroo Bangalow and Rise Up Tours.