Fun and Fitness in Bingara & Warialda

There are many ways to stay active in and around our beautiful towns… plus they offer the ideal opportunity to make new friends! Here are a few ideas just to get you started.

The glorious Gwydir River is only a block from the heart of Bingara’s main street and is the perfect setting for a tranquil stroll on your lunch break or after work. Keep an eye out for the elusive platypus while you swim, fish, canoe, kayak, white water raft or just float peacefully downstream. A few of the picnic spots favoured by locals include Sunnyside Fishing Hole, Honeymoon Island and The Junction, but round every gentle bend is a picturesque, shaded oasis to discover.

Jump on a bike and meaner along picturesque country backroads to explore lovely rural landscapes – there are five suggested routes to get you started, all leaving from Bingara and taking 1-2 hours each. Download maps here.

HF Batterham Memorial Lookout - Bingara

Take a very steep walk if you are feeling energetic (or a short drive if not) to experience breathtaking, birds-eye views over the township of Bingara, plus the Gwydir and Stoddart’s valleys beyond. Copeton Dam Rd then right onto Apex Lookout Rd to summit.

Koorilgur Nature Reserve Walk – Warialda

A 6.9 km loop track extending from Apex Park eastwards to Rotary Park and passing through picturesque bushland where wildflowers bloom in springtime. If you prefer a shorter walk there are several options here.

Bingara War Memorial Baths - 25 metre pool and splash program/play pool, kiosk and beautifully shaded areas. 4 Copeton Dam Rd, Bingara. Check here for opening hours.

Warialda Swimming Pool - 50 metre pool plus wading pool, kiosk and shady picnic areas. 12869 Gwydir Highway, Warialda. Check here for opening hours.

Bingara Sporting Club - A one-stop-shop for competitive and social sporting activities - lovely 18hole golf course running alongside the Gwydir River, 24-hr fitness centre, two bowling greens and eight clay tennis courts under lights (private hire + social comps). Chinese restaurant, both dine-in and takeaway. 8 Bombelli Street, Bingara.

Warialda Golf and Bowling Club - 9hole golf course, bowling green and Chinese restaurant (dine-in and takeaway). 53 Holden St, Warialda.

Wade Horses Bingara - Trail rides for all ages and ability levels + jackaroo/jillaroo adventures along the gorgeous Gwydir River. Canoes also available for hire. "Garrawilla", Keera St, Bingara Find on Facebook

Fossicking - Both Warialda and Bingara offer excellent opportunities for the amateur fossicker. Try your luck at finding jasper, agate, quartz and petrified wood at Tiger’s Gap, 5km east of Warialda and learn the correct techniques to pan for gold and sieve for gemstones at Three Creeks Gold Mine (below) at Upper Bingara. Pick up a fossicking map from the Bingara Visitor Information Centre.

Three Creeks Gold Mine - Step back in time at this working gold mine which offers bushwalks, crystal, gold and garnet panning, mining-related artefacts, bush camping, BBQ facilities and a gift shop. Check the website for current opening hours. 5890 Upper Bingara Rd, Upper Bingara

Cranky Rock Recreation Reserve - A popular beauty spot for locals and visitors alike featuring a jumble of huge granite boulders naturally heaped and balanced above the tranquil waterholes of Reedy Creek below. Cranky Rock is known as a special place of significance for early Aboriginal People, being used as a location to settle disputes and perform ceremonies. Enjoy a variety of trails suited for an easy stroll or a more challenging hike, including a great walk over the suspension bridge to a viewing platform. Cranky Rock is home to many species of wildlife and is popular with birdwatching groups. Powered and un-powered campsites, BBQ facilities, toilets, children's playground, picnic shelters and a kiosk. 296 Cranky Rock Rd, Warialda.

Ezzy’s Crossing Recreation Reserve - A delightful spot loved by locals, with a sandy riverbank right to the water’s edge, making it the perfect place for BBQ’s, camping, fishing, swimming and to launch a canoe or kayak. The reserve is named after local identity Frank Ezzy who used a boat in the 1890’s to ferry people across the river. Also has great view of a massive 1900 railway bridge, one of the oldest and largest steel truss bridges in Australia. Five minutes down the road is the village of Gravesend - pop into The Shop for your picnic supplies or a counter meal at the Gravesend Hotel. Gwydir Hwy, Gravesend.