Barrington Tops is the high, cold, wet plateau at the top of the Hunter and Manning catchments in New South Wales, and it feels like a different continent from the dry coast an hour to the east. The range is a remnant of an ancient volcanic landscape, and its altitude, well over a thousand metres on the plateau, means snow gums, frost in winter and the odd dusting of snow. It is part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area, and the forests here hold Antarctic beech, a tree that was once spread across the ancient southern supercontinent and now survives only in a few cold, damp pockets.
Getting up there is a ride rather than a drive. The main access is from the Scone side, through Moonan Flat and up the Barrington Tops Forest Road, or from Gloucester and Dungog to the east. Much of the plateau road is gravel, narrow and steep, with corrugations and loose stones, and rain can turn parts of it to slick clay. Locals say that if the weather has been bad, you should not attempt it on a heavy bike. Check with the National Parks office or the local visitor centre before going, because sections are closed after storms or fire.
Rewards are high for anyone who makes it. On the tops, snow gum woodland gives way to swampy meadows and mossy rainforest, and the air smells of wet leaves and eucalyptus. Platypus live in the streams, and the forests hold lyrebirds, wombats and pademelons. There are short boardwalks and walking tracks, and campgrounds with basic facilities, including the popular Polblue area. Fenwicks Scrub, a small flora reserve in the same region, protects a patch of subtropical rainforest with giant trees and is a pleasant detour on foot.
Practical planning matters. Mobile coverage is patchy to absent. Temperatures can fall below freezing on clear nights even in autumn, so a warm layer is not an affectation.
If the weather holds, go in autumn, when the beech leaves turn gold and the days are crisp and still, and leave the tarmac behind you.