Before the sun touches any other point on mainland Australia, it reaches the summit of Wollumbin. Standing 1,156 metres above the Tweed Valley floor, this ancient volcanic plug is visible from every accommodation at Selah Valley Estate. For many guests, waking to its silhouette against the dawn sky is what transforms a stay into something they remember for years.
Wollumbin - known to many as Mt Warning - sits at the heart of Wollumbin National Park, just 15 minutes from Selah Valley. Whether you're planning to walk the available trails, explore the surrounding Border Ranges, or simply want to understand the mountain that dominates every view from our property, this guide covers everything you need to know.
Understanding Wollumbin: More Than a Mountain
Wollumbin is the central volcanic plug of what was once a massive shield volcano - the Tweed Volcano - that erupted approximately 23 million years ago. The caldera rim stretches from Springbrook in the north to the Nightcap Range in the south, creating the distinctive bowl-shaped landscape visible from our Hillside Cabins.
Key facts:
- Height: 1,156m above sea level
- Age: 23 million year old volcanic plug (erosion-resistant rhyolite)
- Caldera: Part of the world's largest erosion caldera (40km diameter)
- UNESCO: Within the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area
- First light: The summit receives mainland Australia's first rays of sunlight each morning
- Aboriginal Place: Formally declared in 2014 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act
Indigenous Significance: Wollumbin
Wollumbin means "cloud catcher" or "fighting chief" in the Bundjalung language. This mountain holds profound spiritual significance for the Bundjalung people, who are the traditional custodians of this land and have maintained connection to Wollumbin for tens of thousands of years. The summit is a sacred site central to Bundjalung creation stories and cultural practice.
The Bundjalung people have long requested that visitors do not climb to the summit out of respect for its cultural and spiritual significance. This request is acknowledged by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
At Selah Valley, we respect and support the Bundjalung people's wishes regarding Wollumbin. Our property sits within the broader caldera landscape, and understanding the mountain's significance enriches every guest's experience of this place.
Summit Track Status: What You Need to Know
The Wollumbin summit track has been closed since 2020. In December 2025, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe extended the closure until 30 June 2027, with a prospective reopening in mid-2027 pending resolution of safety upgrades and culturally appropriate access arrangements.
Current status (as of February 2026):
- Summit track: Closed until at least 30 June 2027
- Lyrebird Track: Open - a shorter walk crossing Breakfast Creek to a rainforest lookout
- Park entry: Gate operates seasonally (opens 7:00 AM, closes 5:00 PM winter / 6:00 PM summer daylight savings)
- Car park and picnic area: Open during park hours
When the track reopens: Selah Valley is the ideal base - 15 minutes from the trailhead, with luxury accommodation to recover in after the climb. We'll update this guide as soon as official reopening details are confirmed.
For the latest official information, check the NSW National Parks Wollumbin alerts page or call the Byron Bay NPWS office on 02 6639 8300.
Walks Available Now: Wollumbin National Park
While the summit track is closed, the park still offers beautiful experiences for visitors.
Lyrebird Track
Trailhead: Wollumbin (Mt Warning) car park, Breakfast Creek Road Distance from Selah Valley: 15 minutes drive (12km) Track length: Short walk (approximately 600m) Difficulty: Easy Time: 20-30 minutes
This gentle track crosses Breakfast Creek and enters lowland subtropical rainforest. Named for the superb lyrebirds that inhabit the forest floor, the track leads to a rainforest lookout.
What you'll experience:
- Creek crossing (stepping stones)
- Dense subtropical rainforest canopy
- Massive strangler figs and buttress roots
- Lyrebird calls (listen for extraordinary mimicry - they imitate other bird calls, chainsaws, car alarms)
- Peaceful immersion in World Heritage rainforest
Best time: Early morning (before 8:00 AM) when lyrebirds are most vocal and active. The forest is magical at dawn - filtered light, bird chorus, dew on fern fronds.
Wollumbin Base Area
Even without walking the tracks, the car park and picnic area at Wollumbin's base offer a rewarding visit.
Why visit:
- The mountain looms directly overhead - its scale is humbling from the base
- Rainforest begins at the car park edge
- Breakfast Creek provides a peaceful setting for morning tea
- Interpretive signage explains the geological and cultural story
- Photography of Wollumbin from its base captures dramatic perspectives
Perfect for: Guests who want to connect with the mountain without hiking, families with young children, quick morning stops before or after other activities.
Best Walks Near Wollumbin: Border Ranges and Beyond
The broader caldera landscape offers exceptional walking that many guests find more rewarding than a single summit track. These walks are all open and accessible.
Pinnacle Walk (Border Ranges National Park)
Distance: 600m return Difficulty: Easy Time: 20 minutes Access: 35 minutes from Selah Valley
Short walk to arguably the best panoramic viewpoint in the entire Tweed Valley caldera. The Pinnacle lookout offers sweeping views across the caldera to Wollumbin, with the Border Ranges stretching to the horizon. On clear days, the coast is visible beyond the volcanic rim.
Why we recommend it: Maximum reward for minimum effort. If you only do one walk during your stay, make it this one. The view reframes your entire understanding of the landscape.
Bar Mountain Circuit (Border Ranges National Park)
Distance: 2.5km loop Difficulty: Easy to moderate Time: 1-1.5 hours Access: 35 minutes from Selah Valley
A loop walk through Antarctic beech forest with dramatic cliff-edge lookouts over the caldera. Multiple viewpoints reveal Wollumbin from angles you can't see from the valley floor. The Antarctic beech trees here are ancient Gondwanan relics - living fossils connecting this landscape to a time when Australia was part of a supercontinent.
Highlights:
- Cliff-edge lookouts with safety rails
- Antarctic beech forest (ancient Gondwanan species)
- Wollumbin viewed from the caldera rim
- Bird life concentrated in beech forest (regent bowerbirds, paradise riflebirds)
Protesters Falls (Nightcap National Park)
Distance: 1.2km return Difficulty: Easy Time: 30-45 minutes Access: 40 minutes from Selah Valley
Walk through subtropical rainforest to a 15-metre waterfall cascading into a rock pool. Named for the protesters who saved these forests from logging in the 1970s - a pivotal moment in Australian conservation history. The forest you walk through exists because ordinary people stood between the trees and the chainsaws.
Best time: After rain, when the falls are at their most dramatic. Morning light creates beautiful conditions for waterfall photography.
Minyon Falls (Nightcap National Park)
Distance: 7.5km circuit (or 200m to lookout) Difficulty: Easy (lookout) to hard (circuit) Time: 15 minutes (lookout) or 3-4 hours (circuit) Access: 50 minutes from Selah Valley
One of the most spectacular waterfalls in the region - a 97-metre drop over a basalt cliff face. The lookout walk is easy and wheelchair accessible. The full circuit descends to the base via steep rainforest track for experienced walkers.
Why visit: The sheer scale of the falls is breathtaking. The easy lookout walk makes this accessible to all fitness levels, while the circuit offers serious walking for those who want it.
Brindle Creek Walk (Border Ranges National Park)
Distance: 4km return Difficulty: Moderate Time: 1.5-2 hours Access: 35 minutes from Selah Valley
Follows Brindle Creek through warm temperate and subtropical rainforest. Features creek crossings, massive buttress roots, and some of the oldest trees in the park. A genuine immersion in World Heritage rainforest.
What to expect: Wet feet (creek crossings without bridges), diverse bird life, moss-covered rocks, cathedral-like forest atmosphere.
Best Times to Walk
Time of day:
- Early morning (6:00-8:00 AM start): Cooler temperatures, morning bird chorus at its peak, softer light for photography, fewer other walkers. Drive from Selah Valley takes 15-35 minutes depending on destination.
- Mid-morning (9:00-10:00 AM start): Comfortable temperatures most of year, good light
- Avoid afternoon in summer: Heat builds, thunderstorms common, less pleasant
Seasons:
- Autumn (March-May): Our top recommendation. Cooler temperatures, lower humidity, clear skies, fewer visitors. Comfortable walking conditions without summer heat.
- Winter (June-August): Cool and often clear, crisp morning air, mountain views at their sharpest. Can be cold at altitude in Border Ranges - layer up.
- Spring (September-November): Wildflowers, bird breeding activity, warming conditions. Some rain but generally pleasant.
- Summer (December-February): Hot and humid, afternoon thunderstorms common. Start early to avoid heat. Rainforest is lush and dramatic.
What to Bring on Any Walk
Essential:
- 1.5-2 litres water per person (no water available on trails)
- Sturdy closed-toe shoes with grip (tracks can be slippery after rain)
- Rain jacket (mountains create their own weather)
- Insect repellent (leeches present in wet conditions, mosquitoes year-round)
- Snacks for energy
- Phone/camera
Recommended:
- Walking poles for longer tracks
- Gaiters for leech protection in wet seasons
- Binoculars for birdwatching
- Light layers (temperature drops noticeably with altitude)
Leech advice: Present in wet conditions, especially summer. Not dangerous, just annoying. Wear long pants tucked into socks, apply insect repellent to shoes and lower legs. Salt or gentle pulling removes attached leeches.
"Spectacular location, the mountain views are breathtaking!" — Guest, Australia (May 2025)
Post-Walk Recovery at Selah Valley
One advantage of staying at Selah Valley for your walking adventures: you return to genuine comfort rather than a cramped campsite or motel room.
The Perfect Post-Walk Afternoon
12:00 PM: Return to Selah Valley after morning walk 12:30 PM: Shower in your accommodation 1:00 PM: Lunch on your private deck overlooking the mountain you just explored 2:00 PM: Creek swimming - cold water is the best recovery for tired legs 3:00 PM: Rest in cabin with mountain views 5:00 PM: Sunset viewing from property - Wollumbin changes colour as light shifts 6:30 PM: Dinner with a view of the mountain
"Beautiful spot. Great facilities. We will definitely be back." — Guest, Australia (September 2024)
Best Accommodation for Walkers
Hillside Cabins: Wake up facing Wollumbin. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the mountain. Morning coffee watching sunrise hit the peak. This is the quintessential base for exploring the caldera landscape.
Premium Camping: For guests who want to extend the outdoor experience. Fall asleep under stars after your walk, wake to mountain views from your tent.
Creekside Lodge: Families wanting creek access for post-walk swimming. Multiple bedrooms for larger walking groups.
The View from Selah Valley
You don't have to walk Wollumbin to appreciate it. Every morning from Hillside Cabins, the mountain reveals itself differently - wreathed in cloud, sharp against blue sky, pink at dawn, silhouetted at sunset.
Many guests tell us the best part of their Wollumbin experience wasn't the walking itself but the morning after, sitting on their deck with coffee, looking at the mountain they'd explored with new understanding of its scale, its ancient geology, and its cultural significance.
That shift in perspective - from scenic backdrop to understood landscape - is what makes combining a Selah Valley stay with caldera exploration so rewarding.
Planning Your Walking Days
Sample Itinerary: 3-Night Walking Stay
Day 1: Arrive at Selah Valley, settle in, afternoon property walk and Highland cattle visit Day 2: Morning at Wollumbin base (Lyrebird Track), afternoon creek swimming Day 3: Border Ranges walks - Pinnacle Walk and Bar Mountain Circuit (morning), Tyalgum village (afternoon bakery stop) Day 4: Protesters Falls (morning), departure
Sample Itinerary: 5-Night Explorer
Day 1: Arrive, explore property Day 2: Pinnacle Walk + Bar Mountain Circuit (Border Ranges) Day 3: Rest day - creek swimming, Highland cattle, Polaris tour Day 4: Wollumbin Lyrebird Track (morning), Murwillumbah galleries (afternoon) Day 5: Minyon Falls circuit or Protesters Falls + Brindle Creek Walk Day 6: Final creek swim, Tyalgum bakery run, departure
Explore Wollumbin and the caldera landscape from your Selah Valley base. World Heritage rainforest, ancient volcanic landscapes, and 430 acres of exclusive property await your visit.
Discover creek swimming and waterfall hikes, explore Tweed Valley day trips, and plan your accommodation.
Contact Selah Valley:
- Phone: +61 439 405 177
- Email: info@selahvalleyestate.au
- Address: 110 Youngs Road, Limpinwood, NSW 2484
