Private Guided Walks · Mullumbimby & Northern Rivers NSW
Private half day, full day and multi-day guided walks with Jarien — born and raised in the Northern Rivers, with Kimberley guiding experience and a deep passion for bush tucker and wild country.
Forage, taste and learn about native foods on every walk
Jarien grew up in this country — the stories come with the land
Your group exclusively — never shared with strangers
Tailored length, pace and terrain to suit your group
The country around Mullumbimby, the Tweed hinterland and the Byron Bay ranges is some of the most extraordinary landscape in Australia — ancient volcanic country draped in Gondwana rainforest, alive with wildlife, native food plants and stories stretching back tens of thousands of years.
Jarien offers private guided walks on trails, private land and accessible areas throughout the region — crafting each experience around your group, your pace and what you want to discover. From a gentle morning walk with bush tucker tastings to a challenging multi-day adventure with a camp cook and fire-cooked meals under the stars.
Ancient Gondwana rainforest. Volcanic ridgelines. Native bush foods. Wildlife. And a guide who has known this country his whole life.
Spotted in the eucalyptus canopy
Ancient and unhurried on the forest floor
Dawn alarm clock of the bush
The Tweed Caldera is one of the largest extinct shield volcanoes on earth. Jarien knows its ridgelines, forests and lookouts intimately — places most visitors never find.
Jarien was born and raised in the Northern Rivers hinterland. He didn't discover this country — he grew up in it. His knowledge of the land, its plants, its animals and its stories comes not from a guidebook but from a lifetime of living here.
Before returning home, Jarien honed his craft guiding in the Kimberley — one of Australia's most demanding and remote wilderness regions. That experience forged a calm, highly skilled guide equally at home on technical terrain as he is quietly pointing out a lyrebird or pulling a bush tucker snack straight from the understorey.
Jarien knows the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk country intimately — having walked those ridges and valleys many times — and that deep knowledge of the landscape, flora, fauna and Bundjalung cultural heritage informs every walk he leads. His private guided experiences take place on accessible trails and private land throughout the region.
"This country has been walked for millennia. My job is to help you feel that — not just see it."
— Jarien, your guideAll walks are private — your group exclusively. Prices shown per person. Minimum 2 guests for all experiences.
| 1–2 guests | $350 total |
| 3–4 guests | $195 pp |
| 5–8 guests | $150 pp |
Guide only. Morning tea & bush tucker tastings included. Meeting point Mullumbimby or agreed location.
| 1–2 guests | $620 total |
| 3–4 guests | $340 pp |
| 5–8 guests | $260 pp |
Includes trail lunch & all tastings. Pick-up from Mullumbimby or Byron Bay.
| 2 guests | $950 pp / night |
| 3–4 guests | $720 pp / night |
| 5–8 guests | $580 pp / night |
Includes dedicated camp cook, all meals, camping equipment & transfers. Routes on private land & accessible trails.
Every walk is shaped around your group. But here's a sense of the rhythm of a full day — equal parts exploration, discovery and pure enjoyment of being in wild country.
Multi-day walks follow the same spirit across several days, with campfire evenings and bush survival talks built into every night.
Morning · 7:30am pickup
Jarien meets your group in Mullumbimby or Byron Bay. Coffee stop, introductions, and straight into the bush. Within the first 20 minutes he'll have pointed out something most people walk past their whole lives.
Mid-Morning · walking & foraging
Moving through the landscape at a relaxed pace, Jarien identifies edible plants, tracks wildlife and shares the stories of the country — Bundjalung cultural heritage woven into everything you see and touch.
Midday · rest & eat
A proper lunch — fire-cooked or packed depending on the location. Native ingredients sourced along the way where possible. One of those meals you talk about long after you get home.
Afternoon · deeper country
The afternoon walk takes you into more remote terrain — ridgelines, creek valleys or rainforest, depending on your route. Wildlife encounters increase as the heat drops.
Late Afternoon · wind down
Before the day ends, Jarien rounds off with a talk on bush survival — which plants sustain life, how to find water, the practical knowledge that changes how you see the natural world forever. Transfer back to your starting point.
For tens of thousands of years, the Bundjalung people walked this country and knew exactly what it offered — which plants healed, which seeds sustained, which fruits could be eaten raw and which needed preparation to be safe.
Jarien brings this literacy to every walk. Each day includes bush tucker tastings and plant identification. On full day and multi-day walks, he leads a dedicated Bush Food & Survival Talk — covering how to read a landscape for food, water and shelter.
It is not just fascinating — it is the kind of knowledge that changes how you see the natural world forever.
Knowing what you can eat in the bush is the difference between panic and calm in an unexpected situation. Jarien covers edible plants, safe water sourcing, and basic shelter — practical, engaging and grounded in deep local knowledge. You will walk out with eyes completely transformed.
Acronychia acidula — intensely sour citrus fruit of the subtropical rainforest canopy
Microcitrus australasica — split open to reveal pearl-like citrus vesicles, the caviar of the bush
Acacia species — a staple of Aboriginal diets for millennia, rich nutty flavour
Ground wattleseed has been a staple for millennia — high in protein and fat with a rich, nutty, coffee-like flavour. Jarien uses it in camp cooking on multi-day walks.
Found along rainforest edges, finger limes burst open to reveal tiny translucent pearls packed with intense citrus flavour. One of Australia's most prized bush foods — Jarien knows exactly where to find them.
Prostanthera and Backhousia species thrive in the region's rich volcanic soil. Jarien incorporates them in camp meals and teaches identification by scent as you walk.
On multi-day walks, your dedicated camp cook travels ahead each day to prepare fresh, seasonal food — no dehydrated packets, no compromise.
Damper with wattleseed butter, eggs cooked over coals, fresh fruit and wild herb tea — fuel that feels like ceremony.
Jarien stops throughout the day to share what the land provides — lemon aspen, finger lime, native thyme, macadamia. Tasting the forest as you walk it.
Slow-cooked stews, fire-baked breads, charred local vegetables and native spices. Every dinner different, every meal made with care.
Specialty coffee brewed by hand each morning. Wild herb infusions — lemon myrtle, bush mint — collected as you walk.
Plant-based, gluten-free, or any other requirement — let us know at booking and your cook will plan the entire menu around you.
A second team member joins every multi-day walk — managing food, camp setup and all meals so Jarien stays fully present with you on the track.
Jarien collects your group from Mullumbimby, Byron Bay or agreed location. No logistics stress.
Multi-day walks use private land camping & accessible sites. Quality tents and bedding supplied on all overnight experiences.
Comfortable walking shoes, water bottle, sun protection and a sense of curiosity. Full packing list sent on booking.
Walks are tailored to your group. Gentle ambles to challenging ridge walks — just tell us your level and we will match the terrain.
All walks are private and can be scheduled to suit your group. Enquire now and Jarien will respond within 24 hours to discuss dates, route and any special requirements.
✦ Enquiry sent — Jarien will be in touch within 24 hours.
Something went wrong. Please email jarienkstar@gmail.com directly.
