Frances,
Walking along the riverside across the bridge from Bellingen is generally good.
Further afield, downstream, I can recommend the Bundageree Littoral Rainforest Walk, 3 hrs return from Tucker’s Rock via Repton (near the Bellinger mouth) in Bongil Bongil National Park. Much of the walk is in logged tall Eucalypt forest with a regenerating rainforest understorey. You can expect to see many of the subtropical rainforest and ecotone loving birds like Regent Bowerbird, Green Catbird, Eastern Whipbird, Brown Gerygone, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Wompoo Fruit-doves (it might be a bit late for Superb and Rose-crowned), Pacific Emerald-Dove, White-headed and Topknot Pigeons, Brush Bronzewing, Varied Triller, Spectacled Monarch, Variegated Fairy-Wren along with many coastal heath and forest species, perhaps Masked Owl or Glossy Black Cockatoo. Elsewhere in Bongil Bongil, in the forest and Bonville Ck riverside at Sawtell is good for waders, waterbirds, coastal seabirds and general bush birding.
Upstream, the walks at Dorrigo are excellent, particularly from The Glade, or to avoid crowds, Never Never. This somewhat complements the coastal rainforests for species like Superb Lyrebird, Logrunner, Noisy Pitta, Pale-yellow Robin and Paradise Riflebird.
If you are willing to travel a bit further to Ebor Falls and nearby Cathedral Rocks National Park, or New England National Park, you will be rewarded with superb heathland and forest birding.
