Tag: waterfall

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Halls Falls 2016 Nov

Halls Falls Nov 2016


The Groom River, on the way to Halls Falls, having left St Helens.
Having been to the Meadstone and Ferntree Falls the previous day, we now drove from St Helens in the direction of Pyengana, intent on the Halls Falls, but were completely distracted by the Groom River en route. We had to brave blackberry bushes to get down to it, but it was so beautiful and tranquil there, and the blackberry bushes were only calf height; it was all well worth it, and we spent quite a while by those amber waters.


Halls Falls
Halls Falls win our vote for this waterfall trip. The sign said to allow an hour for the return trip. We took only 17 minutes to reach the far end BUT we took much more than an hour to do the circuit, as photography and admiring took possibly an hour in their own right, to which you then added 34 mins walking time. We were there so long we had lunch at the falls.
These falls are well signposted and easy to find, being off Anchor Rd which is shortly before Pyengana, approaching from the east.


These above are not Halls Falls, but are waterholes above it. The whole area was filled with fabulous places for dipping, paddling, swimming or watching water flow.
Next stop, St Columba Falls. This was a true waterfall binge!

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Ferntree Falls 2016 Nov

Ferntree Falls near St Helens Nov 2016.


Ferntree Falls
The day we visited Ferntree falls, we had already been to Meadstone Falls, and it was nearing dinner time, but I wanted to take in one more (these) before we stopped. Off we set, out of St Helens, along the Argonaut Road. After the bitumen ended, we turned left into Trafalgar Rd (a gps makes the unsigned Trafalgar Rd much easier to find. There are several other turnings left, none of which is signed). After a while, Trafalgar forked. On the left, I could see houses; on the right, the land dropped away to a creek, albeit not the creek the falls are on. We turned right.


Ferntree Falls: a delightful surprise. I thought we knew St Helens really well, but apparently not well enough to know about these.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any instructions. Had I had some, I would have read that one parks here. No matter. Our way was actually more fun, as we had to navigate ourselves to the falls, and we got in a nice little circuit of over a kilometre, rather than just a tiny 200m track. We drove over the spur ahead and parked slightly beyond its crest, following a shallow gully down to meet the main river which we followed to the falls, past delightful rock pools. Climbing down on the right was very steep and unstable. I had parked my husband at the top while I gave it a go. Underneath, I scampered easily across the river and up the other side on a tiny path kind of thing, so the other side is definitely the go. My husband was able to negotiate that one easily to join me at the bottom.
Our route is on the map below. The slight gap in the circuit is where we parked. I deliberately stopped tracking to make that clear.

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Lobster Falls 2016 Nov

Lobster Falls near Chudleigh / Mole Creek.
Olearia linata
Perhaps you don’t think a visit to the Lobster Falls is an adequate – or even likely – substitute for a multiday trek in the South West connecting glorious mountains, but, alas, there are some days when you have to admit defeat, and today was one of them. Unfortunately, the combination of my bronchitis, which has now been keeping me company for five weeks, and the forecast of heavy rain, driving winds and gelid temperatures on high didn’t seem like a happy marriage. I backed out before walking down the aisle, deciding that a little run, some Pilates and a walk to these as yet unvisited falls would be a healthier option.

Oxylobium arborescens

 To get to the start, we drove along out of Deloraine in the direction of Chudleigh. After seeing a sign to the Needles on the left, I knew to look out for a blue and white sign to the Lobster Falls (which are on the Lobster Rivulet) to the right. Near that sign is another one which says no cars should proceed beyond that point. I ignored it for 50 ms to get the car away from the main road. There was a clearing there for parking.

Lobster Falls

Something VERY heavy has been down the road that formed the early part of the walk, making the ground exceptionally soft and causing huge indentation. There was a particularly gooey section – which lasted a mere 70 ms – where going through the bush was more pleasant than being on the road. When Tessa (dog) sank in up to her stomach (portly) she, too, took the firm bush option. Don’t be put off by this. it is short lived, and the bush is quite open at this point to allow easy passage.

Bauera rubiodes
 At twelve minutes from the car, we came to a metallic white arrow with pink and blue ribbons attached, pointing to a track to the right leading off this “road”. Now, a very pleasant route became an exceptionally beautiful one. In four minutes from the arrow, we rounded a corner and found ourselves looking down on the Lobster Rivulet which we now followed to the falls. Overhanging the path were myriad wildflowers in yellow, mauve, rose, light pink and white – bauera, boronia, olearia, acacia, oxylobium and more. There were even plenty of orchids (caladenia alpina).

The path (taken on the way back)
 In sixteen minutes from that corner (and thus, about half an hour from the car), in a pace that was neither rushed nor a saunter – just a nice steady walk – Tessie was having a dip and I was setting up my tripod. Bruce has Parkinson’s disease, so elected not to come all the way down to the water’s edge, but the section that was narrow with a drop had plenty enough bushes to take away the scare factor for him (well, he was probably taken to his limit, but did not go over it). He could see the falls perfectly well from where he waited, so was not denied much by not doing the final twenty metres steep descent.

 I was now starving. Time for an ice-cream at the Honey Farm to tide us over so we could get all the way to the Raspberry Farm for lunch. Humans and dog enjoyed the outing.

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Redwater Creek Falls 2016 Aug

Redwater Creek Falls, Upper and Lower, Sheffield area. 2016

Redwater Creek Falls Upper

I had set this weekend aside for snow camping. I have lost count of how many times I have now tried to do this, but something always interferes, and on this occasion, I was thwarted yet again. The webcam at Cradle, which would give me the general idea for anywhere I wanted, showed a dismal, bleak, grey scene that I did not feel like being part of. We opted to make our garden more beautiful by removing weeds on Saturday and to go waterfall chasing and bagging on Sunday. Tessa, our dog, had four votes on this and was happy with the outcome.

The first glimpse of Redwater Creek Falls Lower.

Tessa enthusiastically took her place in the boot of our new 4WD car, thus spreading dirt and hair in a single move and spoiling that beautiful look that we knew all along would be fugacious. Off we set.

The first glimpse of Redwater Creek Falls Lower.

The Tasmania Trail that we followed to the falls is a 460 km long fabulous trail from Devonport (north) to Dover (south), open to equestrians, hikers, bikers but, gloriously, not cars. We decided to do less than the whole length today, but we sure enjoyed the bit that we did. Tessa says we’re allowed to do a lot more next time if we wish.
After walking and photographing here, we then drove back the way we had come until we were 3 kms from Lower Beulah, when we visited the falls below, the Dasher Falls (for directions, see further below). Bruce feared that Tessa might pull on her lead and drag the two of them down the very, very precipitous slope into the cauldron below, so I was the only one who got to see these dramatic falls. I think I saw them under pretty special conditions. They are really worth a winter visit – but not with children.
How to get there: If coming from Launceston,turn left at Elizabeth Town,  just before ETC coming, and then turn right to Railton. After a couple of kilometres, there is a dirt road to right and left. On the right hand side it says it is the Tasman Rail Rd – the former site of a railway line. Turn left up this dirt track and follow it to a gate, where you’ll need to park (plenty of room for that). You then walk along the main track (ignoring alluring side options when they occur). After a kilometre or so, there is a farm-type gate with a walking gate beside. go through the walking gate and continue with a stranded electric fence to your right until, shortly before the next farm gate, you will see another walkers’ gate to your right (the electric cords go overhead). You can see the falls from there. The lower falls are a very short distance indeed from the upper (maybe 20 secs).

Car route and then walking route to Redwater Creek Falls. Starting on the cyan track bottom right, we are driving west in the direction of Sheffield, having set out from Elizabeth Town. When we see the sign to Railton, we head NE along that road. After nearly 2 kms, and on the first possibility, we turn left onto the Tasmanian Trail dirt track.The first waypoint is where we parked at a locked gate. The second waypoint is at the second closed gate. The line actually continues past the falls to the third gate because we just felt like walking there to see what could be seen. Curiosity didn’t kill humans or dog. As said above, the falls are down the only gate in the electric fence off to the right. You can see and hear them from that gate. Hope that helps. These falls are seasonal, so go after rain.