Wollumbin, as the Bundjalung people call it, rises on the Queensland border like a huge broken tooth, the central plug of the eroded Tweed volcano. Captain Cook saw it from the sea in 1770 and named it Mount Warning, as a signal of the dangerous reefs offshore. At just over eleven hundred metres it is not high, but standing alone above a vast bowl, ringed by the cliffs of the old crater rim, it looks far greater. It is often said to be the first place on the Australian mainland to catch the sun each morning, though that depends on how you measure.
For the Bundjalung, Wollumbin is a sacred place, a site of law and ceremony, and elders have asked visitors not to climb it. The summit track, a steep climb of several hours that was once one of the most popular walks in the country, has been closed for long periods in recent years, so check the current status before planning anything, and respect whatever the position is. The mountain can be admired from many places around the valley, and the old crater rim has lovely drives of its own.
The park protects a mix of rainforest, eucalypt forest and heath, and it belongs to the Gondwana Rainforests group inscribed by UNESCO. Rainforest here is rich with ferns, orchids, vines and huge fig trees, and the creeks run clear over basalt boulders. Mist often wraps the summit in the early morning, and the lowland valley beneath is a patchwork of sugar cane, banana farms and green paddocks.
Riding in the Tweed valley is a delight. The road to the base of the mountain winds up from Murwillumbah through farmland, and the loop around the crater rim, over the ranges to Nimbin and the Nightcap, is a favourite with local riders: smooth tarmac, plenty of bends, and views over the caldera. Nimbin itself, a small town known since the 1973 Aquarius Festival for its alternative lifestyle, is a colourful place to stop for coffee, though it is well known for other things too, so keep your wits about you. Watch for logging trucks, cattle on the road and wet conditions after rain.
Murwillumbah has fuel, cafes, and an excellent art gallery, and is the sensible place to fill up before heading into the hills. Summer, from December to March, brings storms and floods, and the roads can be closed by landslides, so look at the weather forecast and the latest road reports before setting out.