I rode a horse for the very first time in my life a few years ago with Valery Trails at Bongil Bongil National Park, south of Coffs Harbour. Their gentle, well-behaved horses and friendly guides made this a very enjoyable experience.

Guided trail rides through Bongil Bongil National Park on horseback

You can choose from a variety of different rides of various lengths and at different times of the day.

We joined a 2 -hour trail ride at 10am and after receiving some instructions and getting acquainted with our selected horses, we followed the instructor into the forest for a wonderful experience that made us really feel connected with nature.

Truth is, you don’t really need to do much apart from enjoy the experience and marvel at the wonders of the rainforest from a higher vantage point than usual, because the horses are so disciplined and well trained that they do exactly what’s expected of them, even if you accidentally give them mixed signals.

The two hours will be over too soon but you can stay around for coffee or tea and hang out at the property which has barbecue and pool facilities you can use.

Valery Trails is located in Valery, between Bonville and Gleniffer about 20km south of Coffs Harbour. It’s a nice and scenic drive to get there. For more information and prices, see the Valery Trails website.