Dorrigo Plateau

The plateau drops into steep valleys in the Dorrigo National Park.

Dorrigo Plateau is a plateau in northern New South Wales, which forms part of the Great Dividing Range. The plateau is sometimes referred to as the Dorrigo & Guy Fawkes Plateau.

The town of Dorrigo, 580 kilometres north of the Sydney and 60 kilometres from the coastal city of Coffs Harbour, is located on the eastern edge.

Richard Craig was the first European to discover the Plateau, following the traditional indigenous route to Armidale, New South Wales from the Grafton area. Using his skills as a horseman, Craig travelled along the western side of the Nymboida River. Craig's track became a road, now roughly following the same path as the present Grafton to Armidale Rd and travelling through the present day villages of Nymboida, Billy's Creek, Dundurrabin, Tyringham and Ebor (elevation 1300m).^[1] Timbergetters followed Craig through the sub tropical rainforest and many sawmills grew due to demand for timber, initially the highly prized Australian Red Cedar (Toona australis).

Today, the main access road traversing the plateau from east to west is the Waterfall Way.

The Dorrigo Plateau and surrounding Guy Fawkes area was created by successive basaltic lava flows from the Ebor Volcano covering the original granite base. Weathering from high rainfall caused an escarpment to form as the more ancient rocks underneath remained intact.^[2]

See also

New South Wales portal

• Dorrigo National Park

References

1. ^ "History of the Dorrigo Area". Dorrigo Chamber of Commerce. 2009. http://www.dorrigo.com/community/about-the-dorrigo-plateau/135-history-of-the-dorrigo-area.html. Retrieved 1 August 2011. 
2. ^ Dorrigo National Park:World Heritage Area Information brochure. 1998. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.