Located on the eastern shore of Wallis Lake in Tiona, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, the Green Cathedral, is a unique outdoor church. Part of the Community of Christ, this is a place of worship, so it is important to remain respectful when visiting.
A small carpark off the main road makes access to the church safe. The church itself is located only a short walk behind the carpark.
Surrounded by palm trees and with pews made from tree trunks, this really is a unique church. Sitting on the pews and looking at the alter, the backdrop is a view over Wallis Lake. Overall, this is a beautiful and very tranquil place and an interesting stop when in the area.
If you are interesting in a coffee or snack after your visit, the caravan park just up the road offers both.
Dedication board of the cathedralLooking into the Green CathedralInside looking towards the front of the cathedralThe altar
Standing over 70m tall, The Grandis is the tallest known tree in New South Wales. Only a 20-minute drive from Bulahdelah on the NSW mid-north coast, it’s easy to get to, although some of the access is over dirt road. A small parking area is located next to a small picnic area and toilets. Just past these a very short walk takes you to the tree.
Driving there takes you through the Myall Lakes National Park and coastal rain forest which makes for a beautiful trip. Although not the tallest tree in Australia, that record belngs to Centurion, a Eucalyptus regnans or Swamp Gum (called a Mountain Ash in Victoria) which is over 100m tall, however it is still impressive.
The surrounding forest comprises younger Eucalyptus grandis, (commonly known as the flooded gum) as the area was logged in the 1970s. They are much thinner than Grandis, but at least the area is regenerating. Fortunatley this tree remains for us to see what once filled the area.
The road in to see the treeSurrounding re-growth forestRemains from previous tree-felling in the areaGrandis
The original sand dunes in what is now the Tilligerry Habitat were subject to deep sand-dredge mining from the 1960s. Removal of the dunes resulted in a flat landscape with the original drainage system damaged and native vegetation cleared. A large section of the disused mine was used for housing and playing fields, but a section remained near the shore along with remnant vegetation.
This remaining section of land was proposed to be used as a caravan park which would have removed the remaining vegetation. However, lobbying by residents enabled its preservation as a reserve for public recreation and coastal environmental protection in 1996. Since then, local volunteers have spent numerous hours re-establishing drainage water flow and replanting trees and built a boardwalk. The result is an amazing area where birds and koalas thrive.
Getting There
We parked in the Peace Park carpark in Tanilba Bay which is only a 5-minute walk from the start of the boardwalk. Parking is also available along Peace Parade and at the Tilligerry Habitat Office.
Tilligerry Habitat Boardwalk
The disturbance caused by the sandmining has left the area generally flat which means that the boardwalk is also very easy to walk. Raised slightly above the forest floor so as to enable water drainage, the boardwalk is very well maintained and there are bench seats to stop at along the way. These give you a nice place to sit while enjoying views through the forest or over the bay.
Along the paths, information boards detail the vegetation growing nearby, with pictures pointing out individual species. The transformation from a sand mine to restored paperbark forest and swamp mahogany is amazing. The volunteers’ efforts have really paid off, resulting in several environmental awards.
Koalas inhabit the area, but we didn’t see any during our walk. However, we did hear the birds, which were very vocal as we walked through the trees giving us a great welcome to the area.
This was a great walk, with the boardwalk winding through the trees. Highly recommended if you are visiting the area.
Boardwalk through mahogany paperbark forestInformation boardBoardwalk through mahogany paperbark forestAcacia in flowerInformation and interpretation boards at The HubOne of The Hub’s Information and interpretation boardsGum tree growing over the bayDecorated park benchMahogany and paperbark forest
