Location: Start at the picnic area at the end of Alexander Ave in Hazelbrook. This walk goes through Horseshoe Falls Reserve.
Duration: I hour
Grade: Moderate
Features: Waterfalls, creek, overhang
Trip Notes:
Where are the Horseshoe Falls? Although signs announced the way to them throughout this walking track, when we got there it wasn’t clear exactly what the sign was pointing to. Even each of the walking books we referred to had different maps of the same area and different names for the same falls. Nevertheless we had decided to explore this beautiful area with its ambiguous maze of walking tracks. Some helpful new signs had been put in place and the one saying “Waterfalls” is the one to follow at the start.
The track hugs a wide rocky creek bed with water cascading down the slopes, sometimes forming pools and mini waterfalls and other times dropping off ledges making veils of water. The sides of the embankment are covered with ferns, and splashes of fresh faced wattle dot the landscape. Soon some formed steps and a boardwalk is reached, but just before the boardwalk an unmarked side track on the left leads to a lovely spot between 2 waterfalls. It’s a bit slippery and there’s a small rock scramble to negotiate but the scene is captivating – an expanse of flowing water surrounded by ferns where we can see the first waterfall upstream and watch the water as it races over the top of the second.
At the end of the boardwalk a sign points to Horseshoe Falls which leads us past some unusual round rocks along the muddy path. Footing has to be watched down this small descent. Here we come to the first of the main waterfalls - Lyrebird Falls which pours over a ledge, cascading down a rocky shelf past lush ferns and mossy logs forming a huge pool on the beach below – truly spectacular after rain. For the move adventurous, a muddy upper path provides a way to the falls where you can sit behind them and listen to the thundering water.
From these falls the track continues following the creek, and soon another unmarked side track on the left is another opportunity for a short detour. Here you come to a curious section of the creek where the water flows over some sinkholes – a series of perfectly rounded holes in the creek bed. It’s definitely worth a look although the path is slippery and extreme care must be taken near the exposed ledges.
Continuing along the main track where angophora trees wave their tall trunks amidst the lush green ferns, another junction is reached and turning left leads us down past some large rock steps which are eroded and slippery. Although not signposted, this is the way to get to Horseshoe Falls and the wonderfully large overhang from which the falls are possibly named. A sign here told us we had reached Horseshoe Falls however it’s unclear as to what it’s referring to. There was however, the spectacular Glow worm Nook Falls which runs over the roof of the overhang and forms a curtain which we can walk behind. Sandstone rocks and lush ferns surround this oasis and hours can be spent exploring this little paradise.
From here the track continues on to Oakland and Burgess Falls, but as rain clouds approached we decided to head back the way we came and save the rest for another day.
DH
This article has been published in the July/August 2011 edition of The Mountains Blueberry.
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