Tantawangalo 

Located within the South East Forest National park is Tantawangalo. South East Forest National park, as it is known today was formed in 1997 from several earlier national parks and areas of state forest. The former parks were Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka Yowaka and Coolangubra national parks.

Originally a horse station of 6,500 acres, established in the 1830’s, a township developed around Tantawangalo in the later part of the century. Town race meetings were held beside the river, a grandstand, saddling paddock, loose boxes and first-class publicans booth were all part of the course. It attracted big crowds and bookmakers travelled from Sydney and Melbourne to attend.

These days the township no longer exists, and Tantawangalo is just a section of South East Forest National Park. There are ruins of two stone buildings in a clearing on either side of the Tantawangalo Creek where the Postman's Track crosses the creek. Built of local tabular stone, little is known of the history of the buildings. One is referred to as Heffernans Hut, presumably after the Heffernans who settled at Bimbaya in the early 1800s.

Things to do

• See small patches of basalt and domes of rhyolite lava in parts of Tantawangalo
• Explore peak, upland swamps and associated swamp communities such as Nunnock Swamp
• Camp at Six Mile Creek campground, 12km west of Candelo on the Tantawangalo Mountain Road
• Postman’s Track & Cattleman’s Track provide good 4WD opportunities with a camping area located near a wide sandy bend of the Tantawangalo Creek
• Across the road from the Six Mile Creek picnic area is the start of an 300 m return walk. A viewing platform overlooks cascading waters on their way to meet the Tantawangalo Creek