New South Wales
Stunning orange cliffs will be found on the northern and eastern sides of the range which drops away to the south and east where erosion has formed gullies and gorges. The forested area around the base of the mountains includes shrubland with cypress pines, ironbark and white box trees. Emus, kangaroos, and wallaby are prominent in the park and over 150 species of birds have been recorded with many rare species including peregrine falcon, turquoise and superb parrots and the regent honeyeater.
Between 1861 and 1865 the ranges were the hideaway for notorious bushrangers including Frank Gardiner and the Ben Hall gang. (See Ben Hall story). The gorges and gullies provided excellent hiding places while the rocky outcrops provided vantage points to observe approaching troopers.
Included in the park boundaries is Seaton's Farm and Ben Hall's Cave.
The farm began with a small house built from local materials in 1939 near Basin's Gully by the Seaton family, the ruins of which can still be seen. In 1940 they built another house nearby where they lived until 1964. The complex consists of the house, a garage, chicken coop, pig pens and a machinery and other small sheds, preserved much as they were when the Seatons moved to a nearby farm.
The buildings were all constructed using timber from the property and second hand corrugated iron, beaten flat to cover a larger area. The Seatons grew their own vegetables and killed their own meat, running up to 100 sheep, chickens and pigs on the property. Practically self-sufficient, Jim Seaton supplemented their existence with work on various stations and farms in the area.
The farm is a fine example of bush ingenuity and life in the middle of the last century and a fascinating part of the park.
A testing walk leads from the farm parking area along Basin Gully passing Ben Hall's Cave and climbing to Eualdrie Trig Lookout which provides extensive views over the plains to the Conimbla National Park in the north-east. The return is via Blacks Gully and mainly down hill. The walk takes approximately 3 hours and is recommended for experienced walkers only.
A shorter, easier walk, is to Ben Hall's Cave and takes around 30 minutes.
There is a camping area near Seatons Farm in the west and at Holy Camp in the east. Main access to the park is off the Bimbi Grenfell Rd from Grenfell.
