Australian Waterfalls and Cascades

Waterfalls of South Eastern Australia

There are 15,000 waterfalls, cascades and races in SE Australia. This base of information looks at those which are reasonably accessible.

INTRODUCTION

Each waterfall is unique

Tianjara Falls: deep in the Budawang wilderness 

Each has its own shape, sound, vibration, memories

Carrington Falls: images dance in the veil and rocks

Each has its own mysteries and risks 

Minyon Falls, a high rainforest beauty 

Hear them shape the world

Little Crystal Creek Falls, warmth in the mountain cool 

Come explore them with me

INDEX

New South Wales

Bargo Canyon, Narregarang, Hill Top
Belmore Falls, near Robertson, Morton National Park
Bridal Veil Falls, near Leura, Blue Mountains National Park
Carrington Falls, near Robertson, Budderoo National Park
Cascade Fall, Macquarie Pass National Park
Cave Creek Canyon, Hill Top
Currambene Creek Falls, The Falls Picnic Reserve
Dance Floor Cave Veil, Kanangra-Boyd
Demeter Falls, Burragorang Falls, Kanangra-Boyd NP
Empress Falls, Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park
Fairy Bower Falls, Side Falls, Top Cascades, Main Plunge, near Bundanoon, Morton National Park
Fairy Falls, near North Lawson, Blue Mountains National Park
Federal Falls, near Orange, Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area
Fitzroy Falls, near Moss Vale, Morton National Park
Flat Rock Falls, Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park
Frederica Falls, near North Lawson, Blue Mountains National Park
Govetts Leap (Bridal Veil Falls), near Blackheath, Blue Mountains National Park
Gordon Fall, Blue Mountains
Granite Falls, Morton NP
Grotto Falls, Yarrunga Creek Falls, Morton National Park
Grove Creek Falls, Abercrombie Karst Reserve
Hazel Falls Track, Hazelbrook
(Hazel Fall Track inc Burgess, Oaklands, Horseshoe, Lena, Glow Worm Nook, Fairy)
Horseshoe Falls, near Blackheath, Blue Mountains National Park
Jenolan River Cascades, Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve
Jerrara Falls, near Bungonia, Bungonia National Park
Kalang Falls, Burragorang Falls, Kanangra-Boyd NP
Kanangra Falls, 🐉 Burragorang Falls, Kanangra-Boyd NP
Katoomba Cascades and Falls, near Katoomba, Blue Mountains National Park
Koorawatha Falls, near Young, Koorawatha Park
Lady Hordern Falls, 🐉 Yarrunga Creek Falls, Morton National Park
Leura Cascades, near Leura, Blue Mountains National Park
Lodore Falls, Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park
Macquarie Rivulett, Macquarie Pass NP
Majors Creek Falls, Majors Creek State Conservation Area
Mares Forest Creek Canyon 🐉, Wombeyan Karst Reserve
Minnamurra Waterfalls, Blue Mountains NP
Minyon Falls , near Nimbin, Nightcap National Park
Molonglo Gorge Cascades, Canberra
Mumbulla Cascades, Biamanga National Park
Myanba Gorge, Coolangubra Forests
Nalbaugh Falls, Coolangubra Forests
Narregarang Falls, Bargo Canyon, Hill Top
National Falls , Royal National Park
Nellies Glen, near Robertson, Budderoo National Park
Paddy's River Falls, Tumbarumba
Parma Creek Falls, The Falls Picnic Reserve
Rainbow Fall, Macquarie Pass National Park
Rockton Falls, Genoa River,
Sawpit Creek Fall Australian Alps,
Silver Cascades, Grose Valley
St Michaels Falls, near North Lawson, Blue Mountains National Park
Sylvia Falls, Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park
Thurat Walls, 🐉 Burragorang Falls, Kanangra-Boyd NP
Tianjara Falls, Morton National Park
Tuross Falls, Wadbilliga National Park
Twin Falls, 🐉 Yarrunga Creek Falls, Morton National Park
Valley of the Waters 🐉, Blue Mountains National Park
Wadbilliga Cascades (Tuross Cascades), Wadbilliga National Park
Wandandian Falls (Granite Falls), Morton National Park
Wentworth Falls, near the town of Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains National Park
Yandyguinula Cascades, near Queanbeyan

Australian Capital Territory

Gibraltar Falls, Namadgi National Park
Kangaroo Creek Falls, Namadgi National Park
Molonglo Gorge Cascades, Canberra, ACT
Mountain Creek Cascades, Tidbinbilla, Canberra, ACT
Paddys River Cascades, Tidbinbilla, ACT
Uriarra Cascades, Canberra, ACT

Victoria

Genoa 1/9 (Rockton, Hopping Joe, Genoa Gorge, Genoa Creek Falls)
Cann 2/9 (Winnots, Beehive, Fiddlers Green, Neville, Upper Cann, Lower Cann) Beehive Creek Falls
The Bemm (tba)
The Snowy
- Upper (Buckleys, Byadbo, Jacobs, Pinch, Little River, Wulgulmerang)
- Middle (Basin, Raymonds, Spring, Cabbage Tree, Falls Creek, Young) Basin Creek Falls
- Lower (Youngs, Little Cabbage, Falls Creek, Devils Hole)
Tambo (tba)
Nicholson (tba)
Mitchel (tba)
Erskine Falls, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Queensland

Little Crystal Creek Cascades, Paluma, North Queensland

Background notes

For a while now I have been photographing Australian waterfalls of all sizes and complexities. 2016 was particularly wet, recharging a lot of the highland springs and marshes that feed some of the higher falls. This turned some of the falls into raging torrents. In contrast 2018 was dry, and the falls fell silent for long periods.

I am slowly building this web resource of location details and images for each of the accessible waterfalls. Recently I worked out that on average it takes me about 75 minutes to drive to a parking spot, and then about 50 minutes to walk to each fall, and another 60 minutes playing with it: swimming in the pools if safe to cool off, photographing if the light and flow is ok. So each fall takes about 5 hours to capture. Some waterfalls can be hard to find; of the last 10 falls i went looking for, i only found 6 in my allotted time. But i had a good time.

I take a well padded bag - it gets knocked around a lot. It carries 2 Cannon bodies (1 waterproof), CPL filters (to increase/reduce water surface reflection) and ND filters (to darken the lens and allow long exposure shots). I will take a combo 1000mm lens if i am not going to get next to the fall but otherwise carry a simple all purpose zoom and wide angle lens for normal use. You would be mad to bring high end lenses down into canyons or into the wet environments around falls. Finally I pack 2 tripods - a sturdy all purpose machine and a tiny flexible one i can stick into crevices while i hang onto a rope.

I make sure my hands are free while hiking, take high quality hiking boots, a sturdy walking stick (three legs are better than two), plenty of water and a small medical kit. I take a smart phone with mapping coordinates downloaded (still does not help with most waterfalls) knowing that in the bush I will not get cell reception but i will get some GPS positioning away from canyon walls. I take a times-two recharge battery for the phone, a backup compass and paper map and a fold-away solar recharger. If i am going in a long way, i take an emergency flare.

The below is an indicative list of the waterfalls i am imaging at present. I have pictures of some, but am taking a little time to revisit and get accurate height and better mapping information about each location. Some of these are in inaccessible areas without road access, some only flow when access is impossible.

Kanangra Boyd NP

Barralliers (~150m) (Kanangra Boyd NP)
Barrier (Doris Creek) (~150m) (Kanangra Boyd NP)
Bernard Grotto (Kanangra Boyd NP)
Box Creek Falls, Box Creek, upstream junction Kowmung River
Christys Creek
Higgins (~150m) (Kanangra Boyd NP)
Johnston, Wheengee Whungee Creek (Shamash Deep)
Margaret Falls (~150m) (Kanangra Boyd NP)
Whalania Falls, Whalania Creek, upstream junction Sally Camp Creek
Wheengee Whungee (Kanangra Boyd NP)

Blue Mountains NP

Beachamp Falls, Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains, NSW
Millnigang (~150m) (Millnigang Creek, near Wombeyan)
Mumdebah Falls, Jigger Gully
Queens Cascades

Central West (Orange/Cowra)

Beaumont (~50m) Falls, Orange, NSW
Black Flat Creek (~50m) (Canobolas)
Bong Bong (~40m) (near Cowra)
Gully Creek (~50m) (Canobolas)

Comboyne

Bona Vista Falls (~80m) (near Comboyne)
Bridal Veil Falls (~150m) (near Comboyne)
Deep Gorge Falls (~50m) (near Comboyne)
Diamond Falls (~20m) (near Comboyne)
Ellenborough (~120m) (Ellenborough River) (near Comboyne)
Rawson Falls (~50m) (near Comboyne)

Morton NP (inc Budawangs)

Bundundah (~20m) (Bundundah Creek north of Sassafras)
Coal Mine (~50m) (Bundanoon Creek near Bundanoon)
Crooked (~100m) (Angel Creek) (Budawang NP)
Dungeon (~100m) (Shoalhaven River, near Marulen)
Gerringong (150m+) (near Robertson)
Munnuldi (~150m) (Budawangs)
Murrumbooie Falls, (Budawangs)
Ngadyoo Falls, (Budawangs), Sth NSW (Porter's Creek, near Porters Creek Dam, Little Forest Plateau)
Ngaityung Falls, (Budawangs), Sth NSW (Pigeon House Creek, near Cradle Swamp, Little Forest Plateau)
Perryman (~100m) (Ettrema Creek north of Sassafras)
Sluice Box (~100m) (Budawang NP)
Sparkles (~50m) (near Shoalhaven River, Marulen)
Talntrerany Mountain Falls, Budawangs, Sth NSW
Trawalla Falls, Budawangs, Sth NSW
William (~80m) (Bundundah Creek north of Sassafras)

Newcastle

Abbots (~5m) (Manning River, near Taree)
Apsley (~25m) (Apsley River, near Walcha)
Deans Creek
Dilgry (~100m) (Dilgry River, near Thunderbolts Lookout, Scone)
Lower Hastings (~60m) (Hastings River, near Beechwood)
Tia (~50m) (Tia River, near Walcha)
Upper Hastings (~100m) (Hastings River, near Beechwood)

ACT (and nearby NSW)

Bogong Creek Falls, ACT
Coree Creek Falls, ACT
Corrowong (~60m) (near Snowy River, Delegate)
Dubbo (~80m) (Goobarragandra River, near Tumut)
Falls Creek (Princes Highway at the Jervis Bay)
Ginini Falls, ACT
Ginninderra (50m+) (near Belconnen)
Landers Falls 10km 3hr Talbingo Snowy Mtns Hwy
Mountain Creek Falls, (Cavan), NSW
Pierces Creek Falls, ACT
Sawyers Gully Billabong, (Cavan), NSW
Stockyard Creek Falls, ACT

Dorigo/Armidale

Dangars (~150m) (Salisbury Waters near Armidale)
Ebor (50m) (Guy Fawkes River, near Armidale)
Mihi (~150m) (Salisbury Waters near Armidale)
Wollomombi (~200m) (Wollomombi River near Armidale)

North Coast

Belgrave (~5m) (Macleay River, near Kempsey)
Boonoo Boonoo falls and cascades (~200m) (near Stanthorpe)
Gibberagee State Forest Waterfall
Undercliffe (~150m) (Bookookoorara Creek, near Stanthorpe)

Sydney

Arabanoo Creek ?

Ungrouped

Morung Falls, Morung Creek (near Morung Deep)
North Overshot (~20m) (Morphetts Creek, near Broken Hill)
Two falls off the Bullock Track, near Mt Lofty, South Australia (thanks to Steve for the tip off)
Roaring Meg Falls, Daintree, Queensland , this one off the Cleb Track, a pretty challenging road. (thanks to Steve for the tip off)

Reference Books

Go see my book Wild Waterfalls of South Eastern Australia https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079VRXB9T .



Author: Peter Quinton




You can adventure with me at my website

The books we wrote here are now on Amazon

You can find my footprints on GoogleMaps