Apsley Falls
Apsley Falls
If you didn’t know it was there, you’d drive straight past it. Past the rolling green hills of farmland and below the tree-lined stretch of river sits a deep gorge of broken stone. Most days the water slips along quietly, tumbling downstream without much fuss. After rain, it barrels through the gorge, loud and forceful, reminding you what shaped it in the first place. This is Apsley Falls.
Quick Details
Total Length: 2.6km but can be lengthened or shortened to suit.
Elevation: 70m
Grade: Easy
Best season: After rain
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
I’ve been stuck in the car driving for the last six hours and if I don’t get out soon and stretch my legs I may just become one with the seat. Thankfully, I found myself not far from Walcha, so I headed down to Oxley Wild Rivers National Park to visit Apsley Falls.
There are a couple of tracks that leave from the car park area — short tracks to different lookouts. I took the Oxley Track first, with plans to check out the others when I got back. I’m not sure if this really qualifies as a ‘hike’ per se… it’s a bitumen track pretty much the whole way. Although I do have my hiking boots and backpack on, so maybe I can get by on that technicality.
Only a few metres down the track I can see the Apsley suspension bridge crossing the river. I suppose this area must get flooded at times to warrant the large bridge. It’s kind of fun to walk over — it bounces a little with each step.
The trail is mostly flat and easy. I pass a few others, but all in all it’s pretty quiet on this side of the gorge. I passed by a small cascade just off the track and didn't think too much of it — it wasn’t until I was further along, admiring the gorge, that I realized I’d just walked past the top of Apsley Falls.
I came across a closed gate on the trail, with a fence on either side. Although I’m not sure what it’s meant to be keeping out (or in)... Maybe it’s there to close the next part of the track in bad weather. I’m not sure.
The track curves around and honestly at this point I’ve forgotten all about the falls that I had come to see. I was distracted by the lichen covered trees, butterflies in the air, and the mountain dragon that ran over my foot.
Oxley Lookout
My first proper lookout of the trail is Oxley Lookout, and it’s a great vantage point to take in the upper falls. You can really see all of the falls unobstructed. It’s actually so much taller in real life than what it looks like in photos. The pool at the base is so far away, but I can still make out the sight of birds flying around down there.
It would be great to see the falls with more water, but even still, I found myself just standing there for ages taking it all in. I can see a couple of other lookouts from here. One is directly in front of me, pretty much overlooking the top of the falls, and I made a mental note to check that one out before leaving. The other was further down the gorge, overlooking the lower falls, which is where I was headed next.
Even though I had seen photos of Apsley Gorge before, it wasn’t until I was here that I realised the gorge actually curves around so much it almost bends back on itself — with the upper falls being the start of the gorge. It wasn’t something I could really get a picture of though, because it was so large. I’ll have to find out if it’s possible to hike along the bottom of the gorge because I think I’d like to do that.
Lower Falls
I actually really liked the lower falls. There was something that just made them seem more dramatic than the upper falls. As I stood there, contemplating how long after rain the river might run full so that I could see the falls at more than the trickle they were during my visit, I heard a clap of thunder. The dark grey clouds that had been hovering in the sky all morning suddenly burst and it started raining.
I mean, I know I said I wished I could see it with more water — I just didn’t want to be out on the track, without a raincoat, as it got more water. I threw my pack on to head back to the car as quickly as I could. There goes my plans to check out any of the other lookouts, I guess.
Of course, having all of Jess’ camera gear in my bag, 1.3km from the car in a rainstorm, is the perfect time to find out that the only backpack I brought with me on a twelve-day hiking trip isn’t waterproof…
Getting There
Apsley Falls can be found in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, around 20km outside of Walcha on the Oxley Highway.
Tips and Tricks
Take a raincoat in case of rain.
The best time to visit is AFTER recent rain to really see the falls full — not during a rainstorm.
There’s a great camping area nearby, if you’re passing through and are looking to break up the road trip a bit, this would be a great place to stop for a night.