Deep in the valley

Rugged terrain ... East Kunderang Homestead from the air.Credit: Jenny Evans

We leave the city behind, flying over lifestyle blocks and meandering rivers, grazing properties and open woodland, the helicopter's shadow tracing a path below.

Suddenly, the earth drops away beneath us. Ravines split the ground, forking out in multiple directions. Waterfalls plunge over precipitous drops and rivers twist and turn in narrow valleys.

I'm on a scenic "gorge discovery" flight over Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, east of Armidale. Naively, I expect to ascend to the mountainous park, not plunge into it, but Armidale is nearly 1000 metres above sea level on the tablelands of the Great Divide, the eastern edge of which drops dramatically into the Great Escarpment that runs from Victoria to Queensland.

The legacy of millions of years of erosion by wind, rain and ice is a maze of chiselled gorges braided by 500 kilometres of wild rivers. Declared a national park in 1986, Oxley Wild Rivers is World Heritage listed. It protects Australia's largest area of dry rainforest and the state's highest waterfall, Wollomombi Falls.

Wisps of cloud linger above the gorges as we swoop in close to granite cliffs at Gara Gorge. Wedges of dense rainforest, which prefer south-east-facing cliffs, contrast starkly with the dominant yellow-tinged eucalypts. At Wollomombi (pronounced walla-mom-bee), tannin-tinted water gushes over the cliff edge.

We fly over gorge after stunning gorge, then our pilot points to the valley floor. Far below, on the river flats of a sweeping bend in the Macleay River, nestles East Kunderang Homestead, our hideaway for the next couple of days.

Surrounded by paddocks of lush, mown grass, it looks like an oasis in the wickedly rugged terrain. It's hard to believe settlers penetrated such a harsh environment on horseback, let alone established grazing properties here. But East Kunderang was the home of the Fitzgerald family from 1893 to 1928 and remained a cattle station for 100 years.

Now heritage listed, the colonial homestead is owned by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and is available to rent for an old-fashioned country holiday.

There are no landing rights on the property – this is just a tempting glimpse of what awaits us later – so we fly back to Armidale, cruising low over Dangars Falls. A four-wheel-drive is required for the steep gravel road to East Kunderang, so after a fireside lunch at Armidale's White Bull Hotel, our party of seven piles into two vehicles for the 2-hour drive. The homestead is self-catering, so we stock up on supplies and stop on the way at Petersons Winery.

The map issued when booking the homestead says: "The drive to East Kunderang is part of the experience. This leaflet helps you find your way and arrive at your destination in a relaxed mood." In other words, the drive is rough and there's potential for argument-inducing navigational errors. We're lucky to follow Chris Lehmann, the local ranger, who knows the route well and assures us she has rescued only one lost guest.

The homestead is a comforting sight in the fog and fading light. Built in the 1890s of red cedar, for which the area was renowned, the homestead has been restored under Lehmann's guidance. The result is a unique balance of cultural heritage and modern comfort surrounded by rugged natural beauty – a great example of preservation for public enjoyment.

Wrapped on three sides by a veranda, the homestead includes four bedrooms, a new eat-in kitchen and a combined dining and lounge room with open fireplace. It's typically dark and smells deliciously of old timber and wood smoke.

The homestead is perfect for a group of friends or an extended family. The original four bedrooms sleep 10 and a further four people can sleep in the new west-wing staff quarters.

We're lucky to have a home-cook hero among us and soon the aroma of roast beef and vegetables fills the house. We dine around the huge timber table in the kitchen, which by now is toasty. Following dessert, cheese, more wine and lively conversation, we retire to the lounge and play Trivial Pursuit around the fireplace.

After breakfast, our cook bakes Anzac biscuits. He has the luxury of electricity, though, unlike the original cook, Katherine Fitzgerald, who fed 10 children and the homestead's workers. Self-sufficiency was essential in this remote valley and old photos show the homestead surrounded by an orchard and paddocks of corn and oats.

Despite a devastating fire in 1994, some of the original outbuildings remain. The best preserved is the forge, its old timber posts dotted with shoeing nails spelling out the initials of past stockmen.

Relations between Aborigines and settlers were reputedly cordial here and three generations of the Cohen family worked as Aboriginal stockmen on East Kunderang. A grandson of one of the stockmen, George Munro, works on the property as a national parks trainee field officer.

The river isn't visible from the house but I can hear it rushing over the rocks as I wander through the eucalypts. It would be a great place in summer, with swimming holes and bass and mullet for fishing. But I love East Kunderang in winter; it's a wonderfully isolated place to relax and hibernate, especially if you bring a home-cook hero.

Briar Jensen travelled courtesy of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Tourism NSW.

FAST FACTS

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is east of Armidale, about 500 kilometres north of Sydney. See nationalparks.nsw.gov.au. East Kunderang Homestead is 112 kilometres from Armidale. A four-wheel-drive is required for the gravel access road. Vehicle hire available at Avis Australia, Armidale Airport, phone [phone]. See avis.com.au.

East Kunderang Homestead accommodates up to 14 people. BYO linen and food. Minimum two-night bookings. On Sunday to Thursday the homestead costs $165 a night; staff quarters $82.50 extra. On weekends, public and school holidays, the homestead costs $220 a night, staff quarters $82.50 extra. For bookings phone Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Wollomombi, on 6776 4260.

Fleet Helicopters has a range of scenic gorge discovery flights from Armidale Airport. Phone [phone], see fleethelicopters.com.au. Petersons Winery is on Dangarsleigh Road, Armidale, a five-minute drive from the town centre. See petersonswines.com.au.