Fishing in Willi Willi National Park

Willi Willi National Park sits on a rugged section of the Great Dividing Range west of Kempsey, in the Macleay Valley hinterland of New South Wales.

The terrain is deeply dissected — steep, forest-lined valleys cut by numerous creeks and small rivers draining off the range.

The water here is upland and intimate: clear, fast-moving streams running through subtropical and warm temperate rainforest, not broad lowland rivers. The Wilson River is the park's main accessible water and the natural starting point for most visitors.

The picnic area on the Wilson sits deep in the forest and is reachable via unsealed road from Kempsey along Willi Willi Road.

The river here runs past rainforest to a waterfall and plunge pool — the kind of water that rewards patient, careful fishing rather than covering ground.

Several smaller tributaries feed into the system within the park boundary, including Dungay Creek, which holds platypus and is noted for crystal-clear water when flows are up.

Like many upland creeks in this country, it can run low or dry in extended dry periods, and algae can appear in still sections — worth knowing before you make the drive.

The roads into the park are unsealed, and parts of the Kookaburra Scenic Drive require a four-wheel drive. Access to the Wilson River picnic area is the most straightforward entry point; other creek systems in the park are more remote and less visited.

Fishing in Willi Willi is governed by standard NSW state fishing rules. Check with NSW DPI Fisheries for current licence requirements and any species-specific regulations before you go.

The park itself is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, which shapes how the land is managed — the emphasis is firmly on protecting what's here. The fishing in this park will never be about volume.

It's tight country, the streams are small, and the rainforest canopy closes in quickly. What it does give you is solitude, clean water, and the particular satisfaction of reading a difficult stream well.