There are some amazing wilderness areas in Victoria. Some maybe only a half dozen living eyes have seen. Such as this. People have been forbidden to venture here since c1955. This is the junction of Falls Creek and the Yarra River forwarded to me by an anonymous reader. Falls Creek is seen entering from the left.
S/he writes: ‘It is about 11,000 steps in from the main road to here, some very short ones as the terrain is quite steep in places, particularly the last few hundred metres. There is also some horizontal scrub to negotiate, very tricky unless you are shown the way, or keep a careful look out. On the way in you walk North across the head of a gully then follow the ridge (just north of centre) sloping roughly NE for a couple of kilometers until you reach the top of the first waterfall, one of six falling a total of over 250 metres, the highest in Victoria. There is a very small spot you might pitch a tent about fifty metres before the first fall. A hammock or two could be pitched at the falls. There is no water for the next 9,000 steps till you reach the Yarra confluence.
Some beautiful wildflowers on the way.
You cross above the top waterfall, climb diagonally onto the ridge to the West then follow it all the way to the bottom, keeping exactly on the top. After about 2,000 steps there is a view of some of the falls seen poorly through the tall timber. There is a clearish view of probably the second one, whilst others below it, glimpsed only indistinctly give an impression of their immense height. A side track needs to be contoured in from just downhill of this spot to access a better view of these five falls. It used to be possible to climb them on the Eastern (true right) side.
The last couple of hundred metres of the ridge the path leads a little to the left of its centre through some horizontal scrub bringing you out onto the Falls Creek about 100 metres upstream from the confluence. There is a substantial flat area downstream of the creek where several tents could be pitched.
You can camp right on the Yarra here and catch a trout for your breakfast.
The ‘Shelter Hut’ was on that ridge above the tent. It would have had a superb view.
Trout are plentiful and easy to catch in this section of the infant Yarra. The old Shelter House used to lie just up the ridge from the river flat on the downstream side of the creek. There are a number of flattish areas where it might have been, but no sign of the concrete chimney, so further investigation is needed. The vegetation here is quite thick.
It is probably not too difficult to push your way from this campsite through the vegetation up to the base of the Main Falls which lie at least a kilometre below the five falls. You would need the best part of a day to do just that and return. I suspect.
Possibly site of ‘Shelter Hut’.
It will take you a day to walk in to the confluence and a day to walk out. Or you can walk in to the top of the first falls and out again in a day. Especially along the ridge the forest litter is probably nearly a foot deep. Underlying it there are many stones. Your feet are constantly rolling on the deep litter, and as you crash through it you are often pitched in unexpected directions by the stones etc. You will need hiking poles to minimise falls but they are quite awkward to use in the densely vegetated sections.’ It would be useful if you brought a machete (such as this: https://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-worlds-greatest-machete/) and some pink fluoro tape to improve the path for others.’
See also:
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-3/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-early-visits-to-yarra-falls/
http://archive.bigben.id.au/victoria/melb/yarra_falls.html
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-1928/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-historic-photos/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/1925-sketch-map-of-yarra-falls/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-heres-a-little-treasure/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track-some-history/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/upper-yarra-track/
