Bells Rapids Park

The rapids are a site to see this time of year. There are plenty of families and pets out walking and picnicing on sunny days.Take wellies or hiking shoes as it can be a bit muddy.Great walking trails for those who want to do some tramping through the hills.

Very busy. Limited parking and narrow access roads. No convenient walking oath aling river for mobility impaired. Water was running fast and relatively high following recent rains. In summer water levels can be very low. No shops etc so bring your own water.

In October I met with friends, old and new, to try a new route around the Bells Rapids. We parked in the middle parking area (a gravel patch) close to the public toilet and headed east to the footbridge, a common target for everyone to view the white water. One part of the group went uphill following the traditional hilly but short walk while the rest of us set out to find the loop trail on the north side of the rapids, to the west, with the goal to bring us back to the cars along the road inward, The track was clear and easy to follow, with only a few spots requiring all fours to avoid any falls or slips as we moved up to the better pathway. Most of us carried a bottle of water but the air was fresh and the skies were clear. No one was left dehydrated.Once we set a pace, I felt warm glow but it wasn't strenuous. We followed the path until it widened out and soon had farmland to the north, on our right and the river turning away from us on the south/ left.. After a good stretch along the boundary fences we concluded that if there is a way to cross the river, that it may be a significant way ahead. The decision was to return the way we had come. The group began to stretch out at this point and some of us with longer legs enjoyed the clear level path. The water was flowing very quickly and all the spring flowers were out for attention. We saw many dragonflies, butterflies, the obligatory ants as well as a variety of birds. The kookaburras were the dominant sound through the valley interrupted occasionally by a distant car moving quickly on the high gravel roads. Upon our return to the walk bridge, we met with the last of the other group coming down a very slippery slope, making me pleased to have taken the sunny flatter walk. I wore proper hiking boots for comfort and support however most people wore sand shes and were equally as comfortable. We would not have walked more than five or six kilometres.I highly recommend the area, with plenty of room for parking large groups of vehicles. It gets dusty - so please think of slowing down as you enter the picnic area to save other people from wearing your dust.We could also see other tracks that were not suggested on our maps, which teased us with the opportunity of new discoveries. We all vowed to return to find our loop trail !

Great for picnics or just a little trek out of town. Relaxing with beautiful birds and lovely calming rapids. Nice places to hike and great for the kids to burn off some energy.

Beautiful spot, perfect for a picnic or a walk. Parking here can be a challenge during busy times. Toilets are available but don’t recommend using them as they were dirty and very smelly on our last visit. We recommend the goat walk whilst visiting here.

Beautiful place to visit, fast flowing after rains and plenty of parking in main area. Narrow roads so be aware of oncoming traffic as roads were eroded on the sides. Toilets available but peg ur nose it was a bit smelly, but inside were clean and flushing. Dog friendly. Well worth the drive and packing a picnic

We arrived near sunset and had the place almost all to ourselves! There is a big wooden bridge over the beautiful river. Witnessed a canoeist rowing down the rapids, it was amazing how he manoeuvre the canoe over the rapids and rocks among!The rapids made the water white and form bubbles that looked like ice bergs from far.Grew dark quickly so we did not explore the forest paths. Looks like a nice place for trekking if you have time.

Beautiful place to visit! Got the option of an easier or harder walk. Weekends can be very busy with a lot of families with kids. If you,like myself, want to enjoy the area without all the kids I suggest going early morning