The Ultimate Guide To Namadgi National Park

Taking up almost half of the Australian Capital Territory, Namadgi National Park is one of Australia’s greatest natural wonders.

Namadgi National Park represents 46 per cent of the ACT, lying just 40 minutes southwest of Canberra City with more than 106,000 hectares of alpine, sub-alpine and mountain areas.

Since it was first declared a national park in 1984, this immensely diverse region has been a source of great inspiration for nature lovers, offering an incredible range of landscapes from grassy pains and snow gum woodlands to sub-alpine meadows and hidden fern gullies.

It’s often unexplored because visitors are unsure of what to do with something so wonderfully vast. To help, we’ve rounded up some of the top things to do in Namadgi National Park so you can make the most of your visit to this important, largely underappreciated, part of Australia’s geographically diverse east coast.

1. Search the national park for historic huts

a man sitting outside a homestead, Orroral — The Orroral homestead was built in the 1860s and has stood the test of time. (Image: Michael Maconachie)

Several historic homesteads lie across Namadgi National Park, retelling the story of colonial pastoralists and early recreational skiers. Filled with character, these homes are not only great photo opportunities but they tell the story of this region with every crack and crevice.

Gudgenby, for example, is a timber slab hut built in 1845. After serving time in a shipping container, it’s been beautifully restored and reconstructed near the Namadgi National Park visitors’ centre and can be viewed anytime. Audio features retelling tales of early settlers help contextualise the park before you set off to explore.

You’ll also want to look for Orroral, the park’s oldest original homestead which was built in the 1860s and can be found near the Orroral campground.

2. Walk to Booroomba Rocks

a couple standing atop Booroomba Rocks, Namadgi National Park — One of Namadgi’s best walks, hiking to Booroomba Rocks affords spectacular views. (Image: Visit Canberra)

If you’ve only got time for one hiking trail in Namadgi National Park, take the short 2.5 Booroomba Rocks tail up to the park’s most cinematic section. The 40-minute walk will take you through tall forests up to sweeping granite cliffs surrounded by big, beautiful boulders.

With great views of the Brindabella Range, this is one of the most scenic walks in the state, starting from Booroomba Park Park with clear markings along the way.

The walk is best done in spring when the area is blanketed in beautiful multi-coloured wildflowers like yellow and orange peas, daisies and flax lilies. Keep an eye out for Canberra’s signature royal bluebells along some of the wetter areas of the trail.

3. See Australia’s tallest mountain range

a woman walking along the Mount Tennent Trail, Canberra — Mount Tennent Trail is one of Canberra’s hardest walking trails. (Image: We Are Explorers for VisitCanberra)

Namadgi National Park is notable for many reasons, though mostly because it forms the northern tip of the Australian Alps. The various microclimates created by Australia’s tallest mountain range mean the park has an incredible diversity of environments, from steep slopes and open plateaus to dramatic alpine meadows strewn with natural beauty.

The best way to experience this end of the Australian Alps is by walking the 13.7-kilometre Mount Tennent Trail. Challenging as it may be, this is one of the most rewarding walks in Australia, taking you through many of these landscapes across five hours.

4. Pitch a tent

kangaroos grazing on the field, Orroral — Spot kangaroos grazing on lush green grass. (Image: Visit Canberra)

Camping in Namadgi National Park is allowed at either of three designated campgrounds – Orroral, Mt Clear, or Honeysuckle. And each offers a remarkably different experience for those who want to really give themselves over to this cinematic slice of Australia.

Orroral Campgrounds is ideal for anyone wanting easy access to the picturesque Orroral Heritage Walking Track, which is around 6 kilometres one-way and should take around 2.5 hours to complete. Mt Clear is preferred for its bounty of historic huts nearby. Meanwhile, Honeysuckle is frequented by history buffs, keen to camp at the actual spot where the world’s first vision of the moon landing was transmitted.

If you don’t want to camp, hire out the historic Ready-Cut Cottage instead. The heritage cottage can sleep up to seven and is positioned in one of the most beautiful areas of the park near the Gudgenby River.

5. Look for Indigenous rock art

a couple admiring ancient Aboriginal paintings at Yankee Hat rock art site — See ancient Aboriginal paintings at Yankee Hat rock art site. (Image: Tourism Australia)

There are plenty of things that make Namadgi National Park one of the most historically significant regions in Australia. Although the primary reason would be more than 200 recorded Aboriginal sites, not only covered with fascinating rock art but plenty of other details best showcased by Dhawura Tours on one of their custodian-led itineraries.

6. Spot the incredible flora and fauna

a Corroboree Frog in Namadgi National Park — Only hundreds are left of the Critically Endangered Northern Corroboree Frogs (NCF) in the wild. (Image: Visit Canberra)

Namadgi National Park is also one of the most bountiful regions of on Australia’s east coast, rivalling Western Australia when it comes to beautiful, multi-coloured wildflowers. Search the park and you might even spot the reddish-purple Brindabella midge orchid, found nowhere else on Earth.

You’ll almost certainly bump into kangaroos and wallabies but Namadgi is home to 13 threatened species so wildlife encounters are pretty much a given. This also includes wombats, gliders, lyrebirds, wedge-tail eagles and the critically endangered Northern Corroboree Frog.

Discover the best things to do in Canberra.

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections .

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

The ultimate guide to Namadgi National Park