Budderoo National Park

The park has been utilised a lot, although what happened pre European settlement is little known. But the first usage of the area by Europeans was first believed to be in the 1800s. It's also home to the 1853 Kelly's Cottage and its camellia tree, believed to be one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere. Over the 19th century, because of the climate, it's also been a place for dairy farms as well, and hence why the nearby Jamberoo Valley is home to the oldest butter factory in Australia.

The park opened on October 3, 1986, covering an area of 60km² and has been one of the most visited national parks in the state.

Much of the landscape in Budderoo National Park is mountainous, with little to no areas of flat surfaces. Since much of it is rainforest, it also comes with large amount of rivers as well. Parts of the park are also very rocky.

See also: Australasian wildlife

Budderoo is part of the 7,334-hectare (18,120-acre) Budderoo and Barren Grounds Important Bird Area which contains large numbers of endangered eastern bristlebirds, as well as smaller numbers of pilotbirds and rockwarblers, in a mosaic of sandstone heath and eucalypt woodland habitats.

Some of the fauna that may be encountered in this park are the infamously known platypus, and the lesser known superb fairy wren, a somewhat colourful bird of blue and black, as well as numerous other birds and snakes. Types of flora that may be encountered include the cabbage palm, old man banksias and coachwood. Kangaroos, wallabies and koalas are not commonly found with koalas not being able to be found here at all.

The climate is very much cool here all year around. It never goes to the negatives in Budderoo National Park (it rarely goes down to below six degrees in the first place), although on the other hand, it's never too hot as well. The months of February to early April brings a lot of rain into the park, and December and January is bushfire season, and so the best time of the year to visit this park is usually between July to November with September being the driest month.

The typical summer climate averages between 17°C and 26°C while the typical winter climate is between 8°C and 17°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in the park was 42.4°C, while the lowest is 2.3°C.

• 🌍 Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, 345 Minnamurra Falls Road, Jamberoo, ☏ +61 2 4236 0469, minnamurra@environment.nsw.gov.au. 9AM–5PM daily. Perched at the edge of the rainforest walk, learn more about the remnant rainforests in the Illawarra in this very eco-friendly visitor centre. Known for its friendly staff, and nearby walks. (updated Oct 2021)

• 🌍 Jamberoo lookout, Jamberoo Mountain Rd (Tourist Drive 9), Budderoo (Note that it's easy to miss the signage to this park, and so pay attention to the signage when going on Jamberoo Mtn Road.). Most of the time, you can visibly see the towns of Kiama, Lake Illawarra, Albion Park, and if you're lucky enough, you might as well get a glimpse of parts of Wollongong. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Minnamurra Falls. It is a 2.1-kilometre (1.3 mi) walk from the rainforest centre to the falls, but those 2.1 km fly within minutes. Immersed heavily in the rainforest, these waterfalls are definitely a visit, even if you only have about two hours – and no wonder why this place is packed with tourists. (updated Oct 2021)

• 🌍 Carrington Falls, 44-48 Hoddle Street, Robertson. Where does the Kangaroo River drop 50m? – yes, that's Carrington Falls, and it's one of the few spots where this is seen in New South Wales. You can get up close to the waterfall if you want, but do be careful not to slip – or you'll know what'll happen. This is also a place home to a large diversity of birdlife, so bring a binoculars if you have one, as it's worth the look. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Izzard Lookout, Izzard Lookout Track, Upper Kangaroo Valley. See a world down below at the Kangaroo River – although you probably won't ever see the river given how much higher you are in elevation compared to the river – but that's what keeps its beauty, instead of "just another river". (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Missingham lookout, Missingham lookout Track. There is nothing much about this lookout, but the spectacular Carrington Falls Gorge giving breathtaking views. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Warris Chair lookout, Warris Chair lookout track, Robertson. This is one of the many lookouts giving breathtaking views, but one of the few lookouts that can be viewed with little effort. Getting here is only a 500-m walk from the road, so it's suitable for nearly everyone – although the unique thing about this park is that you're very likely to spot some unique birds, so bring binoculars. (updated Oct 2021)

There are numerous bushwalking trails in Budderoo National Park, but by far the two most popular ones are the Minnamurra Falls walk (coloured on map) and the Lyrebird loop walk (coloured on map), both classified as the "Rainforest Walks". But again, it's appalling to think that these are the "only" scenic bushwalks, since there are other trails as well, just not in Minnamurra Rainforest.

Other trails include the 0.6 km (0.37 mi) Carrington Falls track going to Carrington Falls, the Izzards lookout track; a 1.1 km (0.68 mi) trail to Izzards lookout as suggested by its name, the Missingham lookout track; a 3.8 km (2.4 mi) return trail to Missingham lookout, and the Warris Chair lookout track, a 1 km (0.62 mi) return trail. Each of these trails have something breathtaking, all in their own right.

The Budderoo track is a 24 km (15 mi) cycling trail return, which takes approximately about two hours, but can take more or less depending on cycling experience. This park covers most of the park, except the rainforest in Minnamurra. The trail just ends a slightly west of Jamberoo lookout, but if you've got the energy to, then it's definitely worth the effort as the views are more than rewarding.