The gorges of Oxley Wild Rivers are among the deepest in Australia, carved by the Macleay and Apsley rivers as they plunge off the New England Tablelands toward the coast. The park stretches across a vast area east of Armidale, and its lookouts peer down into gorge systems that drop 800 metres in a matter of kilometres. The Dangars Gorge lookout, about 25 km from the city, is the most accessible of these — a short walk from the carpark brings you to a cliff edge with a sheer drop and views that stretch for kilometres into the blue-hazed country below.
Serious walkers can descend to the river at Wollomombi Gorge, where the Wollomombi Falls — among the highest in Australia — drop over 200 metres during good flow. The track to the base is steep and takes a full day. Bring plenty of water; the gorge country is hot even when the tablelands are cool.