Waterfalls of Victoria
This time it’s the waterfalls of Victoria. My second (equal) great photographic love is waterfalls alongside decaying abandoned locations. I will drive miles to see one, and when going on a trip, I research and hunt for any waterfalls along our route. Some waterfalls have no base access. And while this does save my legs, it’s not my favourite POV for waterfalls. I prefer to photograph from the base of the falls instead of a lookout at the top. Part 2 is Waterfalls of Queensland
Paradise Falls
The lovely Paradise Falls is 17 km from Whitfield via Cheshunt. It’s often dry, but you get a nice flow after heavy or steady rain. While it was lovely and sunny, the day we visited following several days of rain, and two streams were coming over the top. So if visiting, don’t bother with summer; winter and spring are best. From the car park, walk down the walking path for 200m to the Paradise Falls viewing platform. The track is of easy grade and includes some steps. You can continue to the viewing platform base of the falls. It’s steep but not too bad.
Once on the platform, you can go through the gap between the lookout and cliffs. Then hug the cliffs and head up and across to get behind the falls. It’s a bit of a goat track, but no signs are saying you shouldn’t do it, and lots were. From behind the falls, you are under the overhang. Its size is massive (see the ant-like people on the left to get an idea of perspective). Above is a ten-shot pano taken looking out (5 shots, two rows)
Steavensons Falls
Located in Marysville is Steavensons Falls, which is another beautiful and easily accessed waterfall. An easy walk from the car park brings you to the viewing platform facing the falls. The waterfalls are 121ft high with five separate drops. Several paths from the lookout take you to other vantage points, including one that takes you to the top of the falls. Unfortunately, all the infrastructure was lost during the Black Saturday bushfires, but viewing platforms, toilets etc., have since been rebuilt.
Tooronga Falls
Noojee, which has the dubious honour of being the wettest place in Victoria. We visited in October, and the water coming over the top was impressive. The car park at Tooronga Falls reserve is quite large with picnic and toilet facilities. We even noticed people camping there, so the amenities are good. The waterfall itself is an anomaly. Every other waterfall I have visited is either close to the car park or many steps downhill to the falls. There were many steps uphill to the falls with a downhill return. The track is quite good hardened earth and solid steps. Lots of steps. But worth it. You come out on a lovely viewing platform when you get to the top. This is close to and right in front of the falls. You can continue to Amphitheatre Falls as the loop brings you back to the car park, but we were worn out from the walk-up and retraced our steps back to the car park.
Woolshed Falls
Beautiful Woolshed Falls are in Beechworth. Spectacular after heavy rain and flowed well when we visited in September. Located in Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park and just ten minutes out of Beechworth, there is an ample car park with toilets and picnic facilities. There are two lookouts. The one to the left from the car park goes to a fenced lookout with a good view of the falls. Take the path down from the car park; you come to the rocky area in the picture above and walk around the rocks to get closer. The rocks can be slippery, though; two of our group fell over but had no serious injuries.
Erskine Falls
While a beautiful waterfall, Erskine Falls in Lorne, is a strenuous 320 steps up and downhill, the count may be a step or two off as I was near collapse by the time I got back up. Once at the bottom, you have a great view of the waterfall from the lookout in front, with nice rocks forming a leading line in.
Agnes Falls
Located in Toora, Vic., Agnes Falls is also very close to the car park and just a slight walk downhill. You can’t get to the bottom, but the lookout is just below the precipice, so you are almost level with the water going over. It’s also not a deep straight drop. Instead, it’s lots of rocky cascades, so the angle you are at is quite good. When we visited, it had been raining the day before, and the rain started again as I was shooting, so it was flowing very well.
Broken Falls
Beautiful Broken Falls in the Grampians is another easy walk. From the car park, it’s a short sealed walk which is steep. Still, it’s short, and wheelchair or pram suitable. You can continue to the base of McKenzies falls on a 2km return, but it’s a LONG way down, with signs warning only to take the descent if you were fit, and with Erskine Falls fresh in my memory, I chickened out.
Originally Broken Falls was a short, not as steep, dirt walk from the kiosk by the car park. The bushfires of 2014 decimated the area, and the kiosk, walkways, toilets, etc., were some of the casualties. Parks Victoria has rebuilt the waterfalls walk area. The original lookout area has been relocated with a sealed walk and a slightly different view. The lookout is now to the side instead of at the front as it was in 2013.
Hopetoun Falls
One of my favourites, Hopetoun Falls, near Beech Forest in the Otways, is an excellent all-year waterfall. However, it flows much better in the winter and spring months. A short walk from the small car park brings you to the upper lookout, where you get a nice view of the falls.
If you continue down the stairs, you come to a reasonably flat boardwalk that takes you to the lookout at the base of the fall. The lookout is safely fenced off (though it’s easy to go around the side and down to the river) and has a bench, though it’s usually wet all the time from rain or waterfall spray.
Triplet Falls
Also near Beech Forest and not far from Hopetoun Falls is Triplet Falls. These falls have three separate streams that cascade over a lush rainforest into the valley. Of course, there aren’t always three streams flowing as it depends on rainfall, but it seems that there are at least two (and it rains a lot in the Otways).
There were two streams the day we were there, but trees blocked our view of the other, and it was only possible to photograph one stream.
Trentham Falls
One of the most accessible falls, the Trentham Falls lookout, is only an easy 70 meters from the car park. There is a goat track down to the base with danger signs not to use it, but no one was paying attention to the sign when I was there. We have been there in summer, and it was just a trickle. Certainly much better in August.
Hopkins Falls
Situated in Allansford, just 15 km from Warrnambool, is Hopkins Falls. It’s handy to the car park, but the base of the falls is on private property. You can access it. Just respect that you are on private land.
The curtain-like falls are 90 metres wide and plunge 12 metres over dark basalt rock. Two viewing platforms overlook the falls, and the super-easy path from the platform to the base is postcard-worthy. The falls are best in winter (we were there in April. In winter, also look for baby eels jumping the rocky ledges during their winter migration.