Towarri

Towarri National Park is a remote woodland and forest park in the Hunter Valley hinterland of New South Wales, located in the ranges between Scone and Merriwa in the Upper Hunter. Covering approximately 9,830 hectares, the park protects significant areas of dry sclerophyll woodland, box-ironbark forest, and riparian communities on the hills and ranges above the Upper Hunter Valley. The park contributes to the conservation of the Hunter Valley's woodland communities and provides habitat for threatened woodland birds.

Towarri National Park supports Upper Hunter woodland wildlife. The critically endangered regent honeyeater has been recorded in the box woodland. Gang-gang cockatoos and glossy black-cockatoos inhabit the forest. Eastern grey kangaroos and common wombats are present. Diamond firetails and diverse woodland birds typical of the Upper Hunter are present. The park's woodland habitats are important in the regional conservation landscape for threatened species.

Grey box, white box, and yellow box woodland communities occupy the fertile hillsides. Ironbark and scribbly gum woodland covers drier ridges. Riparian vegetation with river oaks and casuarinas lines the creek systems. The woodland communities represent significant remnants of the box woodland that has been extensively cleared in the Upper Hunter.

The park is underlain by Permian sedimentary rocks of the Hunter Valley sequence, with the terrain reflecting the dip and structure of these rocks. The woodland vegetation communities reflect the fertile basaltic and sedimentary soils.

Warm temperate continental climate. Annual rainfall approximately 600 to 800 millimetres. Hot summers, cool winters with frosts.

The Wonnarua and Gringai peoples are the traditional custodians of the Upper Hunter. The woodland country provided diverse resources.

Towarri National Park was established to protect the woodland communities and associated wildlife of the Upper Hunter Valley.

Walking through box woodland and birdwatching for threatened woodland species. The park is relatively unvisited.

Limited visitor facilities. Access via roads from Scone. Scone provides visitor services. Approximately 280 kilometres north of Sydney. A national parks pass applies.

Regent honeyeater habitat management is the primary conservation focus. Invasive pasture grass control maintains woodland understorey quality.