Things to discover at Arakoon

The landscape of the Smoky Cape area is of considerable beauty, forming a prominent forested backdrop to the lower Macleay Valley and providing dramatic coastal panoramas. Smoky Cape contains a number of important coastal communities that have been reduced in area, including wetland, and dry and littoral rainforest habitats. Three rainforest species are at their southern limit in the reserve while at least three other species approach the southern limit of their range within the area. An outlier population of the swamp banksia (BANKSIA PALUDOSA) occurs in the area. The area has a comparatively rich and diverse orchid flora with sixteen species identified so far, including saprophytic, epiphytic and terrestrial species. Several rare, restricted or scientifically significant species of butterfly occur at Smoky Cape, including the regent skipper (EUSCHEMON RAFFLESIA ssp RAFFLESIA). The reserve provides habitat for the koala (PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS ssp. CINEREUS) which is a vulnerable and rare species in New South Wales.