Rainbow Walk

Stage 1 of Rainbow Walk is a 760m path, built to Australian Walking Track Standards, meandering through local bushland within the village of Nimbin. Its outcomes aim to bolster community resilience in the wake of future disasters by facilitating increased tourism, longer stays, and higher revenue opportunities for local businesses while engendering a sense of community pride.

The Rainbow Walk will provide recreational facilities for residents while simultaneously delivering a high-quality, nature-based tourism product for the tens-of-thousands of tourists who visit Nimbin each year.

The aftermath of the Black Summer fires (November 2019) presented grant opportunities to finally realise the Rainbow Walk, a project long in the making and planning stages.

In November 2020 Diana Roberts OAM, a founding member of NCCI and long-serving committee member, set about writing a grant for the walking track. That application was successful and in July 2021 Lismore Council received $2.56m funding from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (Federal and State funding) to complete stage one of Rainbow Walk.

In February 2021, 11a Alternative Way, a property which surrounds a significant section of the Rainbow Walk, was purchased under the umbrella of Nimbin Community Centre Inc. Its acquisition, financially supported by a consortium of Nimbin community organisations and individuals, in partnership with Rainbow Power Company, has resulted in the creation of Aquarius Park.

The park adds considerable depth to the Rainbow Walk experience and the land’s regeneration is being overseen by the Aquarius Park Landcare group, supported by experienced bush regenerators.​

What does the walk comprise of? 

• 760m of track 2.5m meter wide in both brushed concrete and recycled plastic – dependent on location

• Bridges to traverse the gullies

• Weed removal and bush regeneration of the entire track with a focus on endemic, native species. This work is ongoing

• Feature stone seating

• Art installations

• Park benches

• Picnic areas

• A walkway arbour

• A bird viewing area

• Wayfinding and story board signage

• Disability parking near the pool entrance.

The original grant application included access from Cullen Street to the Header’s ground. This will now be a Stage 2 project as issues arose with insurance for an affected landowner. To replace this loss a new section of walk was designed to provide direct access from Peace Park and the local swimming pool.

Lighting in the original design was removed during consideration of the development application and consultation with relevant authorities. In early 2025 construction of an amenities block in Peace Park will commence. This also services the Rainbow Walk and is a separately funded NSW Government project.