AUTUMN FLAVOURS
FROM THUNDERING OVER A CLIFF TO TRICKLING DOWN A ROCK FACE, WATERFALLS ARE A REMINDER OF JUST HOW GRAND NATURE IS, WRITES JOCELYN PRIDE. HERE’S OUR PICK OF THE BEST ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
As we start to feel the summer heat fade away, we cling to the remaining longer evenings and try to make the most of them before the darker hours of autumn and eventually winter. We tend to move from light, frothy, zingy things and seek a little more depth as the cooler temperatures creep upon us.
The Hare & The Tortoise, Pinot Gris, King Valley, 2020
From the sub alpine north east of Victoria. This offers lemon leaf and sorbet, pear flesh and skin with zings of crystalline ginger. There’s a little waxiness and body to the palate before a fine, zesty finish. Rating: 90/100. RRP: $20. Alc: 12.7 per cent.
Tread Softly, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, 2020
Taking its green credentials seriously with grapes from sustainable vineyards and minimal intervention winemaking. Maraschino cherry, deep orange and whiffs of amaro herbs with a touch of vanilla. Juicy, yet lithe with cherry. Rating: 93/100. RRP: $22. Alc:
12.2 per cent.
Little Giant, Grenache, McLaren Vale, 2020
Big McLaren Vale regional nose of jubey raspberry, rose petals, sandy rocks and with a touch of licorice. Bright and crunchy red fruits with almost tacky tannins before drawing to a tight, enjoyable finish. Rating: 91/100. RRP: $22. Alc: 14.5 per cent.
TRENTHAM FALLS, VIC
At 32m high, Trentham Falls might not blitz it on a world scale, but as Victoria’s longest single drop it is mighty impressive. Within an hours drive from Melbourne followed by a 10minute stroll from the carpark to the viewing platform, it’s perfect for a day trip. Mist often adds to the mystic of the curtain of water cascading over columns of orange basalt into the circular pool below. There’s plenty of fine country fare in nearby Trentham, a quintessential gold rush village.
WATERFALL GULLY, SA
Despite being Australia’s driest state, beneath the slopes of Mount Lofty, Waterfall Gully, 15 minutes from Adelaide, has a good yearround water flow. Nestled into the Adelaide Hills, in the Cleland Conservation Park, the gully is part of the 7.8km round trip Grade 4 Mount Lofty summit hike. However, don’t worry about being left in the wake of fitness fanatics who use the trail for serious training, the first couple of waterfalls of the seven that exist in the park are the best and easily reached from the carpark.
FLORENCE FALLS, NT
The Northern Territory isn’t short of spectacular waterfalls, but Florence is tempered enough to make it accessible, with enough edginess to guarantee excitement. Located in Litchfield National Park, a trip to Florence Falls is all about taking a dip in the picture-perfect, croc-free swimming hole at the base gazing up at water cascading over massive rock faces. Further on, in fact 130 steps down (and of course back up again), you can then plunge beneath the falls into a series of whirlpools and natural spas known as Bluey Rockholes.
ERSKINE FALLS, VIC
The Great Ocean Road might be famed for its stunning beaches, but equally as beautiful are the waterfalls tucked into the lush rainforests of the hinterland. Erskine Falls, a 15-minute drive from the chic seaside resort of Lorne, is the jewel of the Great Otway National Park. The first viewing platform is only moments away from the carpark and offers a clear view of the 30m drop.
MILLAA MILLAA FALLS, QLD
There’s a reason why Millaa Millaa Falls are the most photographed in the country. With not a droplet out of place, the 18m heritagelisted curtain of water cascades into a swimmable waterhole fringed by tall trees, tropical palms and ferns. Located on the Atherton Tableland less than a two hour drive from Cairns, the falls are the centrepiece of the Millaa Millaa.
HORIZONTAL FALLS, WA
Fancy skimming through the waterfall Sir David Attenborough once described as “Australia’s most unusual natural wonder”? Shrouded by the bright orange cliff faces of the McLarty Range off the Kimberley coast, the Horizontal Falls is a natural phenomenon. With one of the highest tidal shifts in the world, as the tide turns water flows in the opposite direction sucking it through a narrow gap between two gorges to create a giant whirlpool. Pick up a tour from Broome or Derby and experience the thrill of the falls by air, sea or a combination of both.
RUSSELL FALLS, TAS
Russell Falls are not only one of the prettiest in Tasmania, they’re also super accessible. Situated in the heart of Mt Field National Park, an hour from Hobart, the 20-minute return flat stroller and wheelchair friendly track meanders through a canopy of towering eucalyptus and myrtles with a fern-lined understory. Here, the grandeur is in the width of the falls, with two main tiered cascades (sometimes more) filling the landscape.
LOVERS FALLS, TAS
Hidden in the wilderness along the glassy
Pieman River on the west coast, Lovers Falls tips the scales as one of the most magical places imaginable. For starters, the only way to reach the small set of steps leading from the river to a boardwalk is by kayak or small boat. Climb the stairs, and be rewarded with a 30m drop of water tumbling over mosscovered boulders.
CRYSTAL SHOWER FALLS, NSW
There’s something cathartic about standing behind a waterfall and feeling the raw power of nature. Iceland may have Seljalandsfoss, but Australia has Crystal Shower Falls along the Waterfall Way scenic drive in Dorrigo National Park about an hour from Coffs Harbour. As part of the UNESCO Gondwana Rainforest, the 3.5km return walk from the Glade picnic area carpark is like being enveloped in ancient history – twisted branches of trees thought to be 600 years old reach for the sky, tangled vines hang and birdsong echoes through the mist. The suspension bridge adds another dimension to the experience with spectacular front on views of the falls.
MIRI MIRI FALLS, WA
Visualise the scene – you are whisked by helicopter to a remote corner of El Questro in the Kimberley. After landing you hike down a narrow track among 100-year-old Livistonia palms into a clearing where a 50m drop of spring fed water plunges from a plateau into a deep swimming hole. If you’ve ever wanted a waterfall all to yourself, this is it.
Swim, picnic, explore – it’s the stuff dreams are made of.