Escape From The Stresses Of Sydney Living In Barrington Tops

There are three ways to get to Barrington Tops from Newcastle. The shortest of these is a lovely 100 mile drive that takes 3 1/2 hours or more to complete, because it is nothing like a freeway. When you visit Barrington Tops, you leave the city and its infrastructure behind. If you want to really get away from the stress and madness of "civilisation" and back to nature, Barrington Tops is where you want to go.

The reason for the name, Barrington Tops, comes from the fact that it situated on top of a long plateau. Standing like a lookout between extinct volcanoes in the Mount Royal Ranges, some of which reach to heights of over one and a half kilometres (nearly a mile), it is anything but a flat, featureless plateau. In fact, over 20 valleys crisscross the plateau. Rainfall is high in this region of New South Wales, forming wild rivers and spectacular waterfalls and feeding some of the most stunning rainforests you will see anywhere in the world.

You simply cannot find words to adequately describe the beauty of Barrington Tops, but the scientific facts hint at its wonders. Where else in the world will you find stands of Antarctic Beech trees whose history can be traced back over 66 million years? The pollen of one species at least, genus Northofagus, is believed to date back to when Australia was Gondwanaland, before it was separated by water from Africa and South America.

The rarity and diversity of plant and animal life on Barrington Tops was one of the reasons it was declared a National Park in 1969. Further investigation led to its being given World Heritage status and even given the distinct title of a Wilderness area. The Industrial Revolution has led to the pollution of most of the world's waterways. While most countries do not even have source of pure water, Barrington Tops has four rivers and a creek that still carry pure, drinkable water. Once a little known region of Australia, Barrington Tops is now recognised as one of the world's great wilderness areas.

Barrington Tops is only about fifteen miles or twenty-five kilometres long, so it can't be said to be a vast wilderness. It may be small in size, but within its boundaries can be found over half of Australia's native species of plants and over a third of the country's mammals and bird species. Amongst these are some of Australia's rarest and most endangered species, including the brilliant blue riflebird, one of the most beautiful birds in the world and the rufous scrub, a tiny bird with a big, melodious voice. These are just two of over 2 dozen rare or endangered species found on Barrington Tops.

All Australians are united in wanting Barrington Tops to remain as unspoiled in the future as it is today, but we also want to be able to enjoy its wonders. In fact, along the slopes of the plateau and in the nearby Hunter Valley, you can find a Barrington Tops accommodation that will allow you to experience it in all its glory without leaving an obtrusive environmental footprint. Where else will you find a tastefully built accommodation within walking distance of a river so clean, you can drink from it?