The Three Brothers

Forests, and rainforests in particular have always entranced me since hearing the fairytale "Hansel and Gretel" as a young child. Fittingly, my new home is now deliciously shadowed by a mountain affectionately named North Brother, situated within the Dooragan National Park

image: the view from North Brother

The three Brothers are three separate mountains of the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales and situated approximately 360 kilometres north of Sydney. South Brother lies within the Greater Taree local government area, while the Middle and North Brothers are located with the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council area.  The North and Middle Brothers have been declared national parks. Part of the Dooragan National Park and Middle Brother National Park respectively.

 image: low cloud on North Brother 

There are two versions of the naming of the Brothers. The Australian Aboriginal people relate a dreamtime story of three brothers who were killed by a witch called Widjirriejuggi and were buried where the mountains stand. The youngest of the three was Dooragan the National Park which is home to North Brother mountain .When Captain James Cook passed the area on 12 May 1770 he named the mountains Three Brothers, since "the Hills bore a resemblance to each other".

Bird Tree and Benaroon, two of the biggest blackbutt trees in New South Wales are situated in the Middle Brother National Park. Scientists estimate these trees predate the arrival of Captain Cook to Australia.
Burrawan State Forest located off Bago Road on the way to Wauchope is home to 'Old Bottlebutt', an ancient Red Bloodwood . Unique in its shape, and over 200 years old, it has a large flared 'butt' with a massive girth of more than 16 metres just above the base. The access is via a 600 metre loop walk through a shady and lush rainforest.

image: the 'butt' of Old Bottlebutt"

image: "Old Bottlebutt" base to top