Wollomombi Falls
Encyclopedia
Wollomombi Falls from an Aboriginal
word, are located in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
, 40 km due east of Armidale
, New South Wales
and 1 km off the Waterfall Way
.
At one time they were believed to be the tallest in Australia
. However, recent geographical revisions place them at second or third tallest, depending on the source, after Tin Mine Falls
(New South Wales) and Wallaman Falls
(near Ingham, Queensland
). The Chandler Falls are located to the right of the Wollomombi Falls when viewed from the main lookout. After they join, these rivers are known as the Chandler River and become a tributary of the Macleay River
.
From the very top to the very bottom the height is approx 220 metres although its biggest drop where the water "falls" is only 100 m.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service
has constructed two walking tracks. The first, the Chandler Walk, is only for the fit and healthy. This route passes Checks Lookout before reaching the Chandler Lookout and then winding down to the bottom of the gorge downstream from the falls. Checks Lookout is about a third of the way along this walk with a view back along the gorge to the falls. At the end of the track 400 metres below the top of the gorge one can explore the river or swim in one of the many deeper pools.
The second track, the Wollomombi Walk takes the walker upstream past a lookout platform and across the Wollomombi River on a long steel bridge. The river can be explored at this point. The track continues to another lookout platform which looks down on the falls from the opposite side of the gorge. A further extension of the track ends at a platform with spectacular views into the Chandler River gorge which joins the Wollomombi Gorge.
Edgars Lookout provides an easily accessible view of the gorge on the western side of the Falls lookouts.
Facilities include drinking water, pit toilets, shelter shed, fireplace and bush camping sites are available for overnight stays. An excellent information display is also provided.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
word, are located in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is in New South Wales, Australia, 445 kilometres north of Sydney and is named in memory of the Australian explorer John Oxley, who passed through the area in 1818...
, 40 km due east of Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and 1 km off the Waterfall Way
Waterfall Way
The Waterfall Way is a road and State Highway 78 in New South Wales, Australia. It runs east-west from the Pacific Highway to the New England Highway at Armidale. The route passes through some of New South Wales' most scenic countryside and has become well known as New South Wales best and...
.
At one time they were believed to be the tallest in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, recent geographical revisions place them at second or third tallest, depending on the source, after Tin Mine Falls
Tin Mine Falls
Tin Mine Falls is a waterfall located in the remote Pilot Wilderness Area, part of Kosciuszko National Park in southern New South Wales, Australia. Described from top to bottom, the falls consist of non-segmented tiered cascades over bedrock with a few smaller plunges, followed by a single large...
(New South Wales) and Wallaman Falls
Wallaman Falls
The Wallaman Falls are notable for their single-drop of 268 metres, which is Australia's highest permanent waterfall. The pool at the end of the waterfall is 20 metres deep....
(near Ingham, Queensland
Ingham, Queensland
Ingham is a town in the Great Green Way region of North Queensland, Australia. The town was founded in 1864, gazetted a shire in 1879, and is the service centre for many sugarcane plantations, pioneered in the 1870s by William Ingham, for whom the town is named...
). The Chandler Falls are located to the right of the Wollomombi Falls when viewed from the main lookout. After they join, these rivers are known as the Chandler River and become a tributary of the Macleay River
Macleay River
The Macleay River is a major river on the Mid North Coast , Australia.The headwaters of the Macleay River rise as the Gara River on the eastern side of the Northern Tablelands near Armidale and Walcha, New South Wales. From here the Chandler River, Styx River and Apsley Rivers are important...
.
From the very top to the very bottom the height is approx 220 metres although its biggest drop where the water "falls" is only 100 m.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
has constructed two walking tracks. The first, the Chandler Walk, is only for the fit and healthy. This route passes Checks Lookout before reaching the Chandler Lookout and then winding down to the bottom of the gorge downstream from the falls. Checks Lookout is about a third of the way along this walk with a view back along the gorge to the falls. At the end of the track 400 metres below the top of the gorge one can explore the river or swim in one of the many deeper pools.
The second track, the Wollomombi Walk takes the walker upstream past a lookout platform and across the Wollomombi River on a long steel bridge. The river can be explored at this point. The track continues to another lookout platform which looks down on the falls from the opposite side of the gorge. A further extension of the track ends at a platform with spectacular views into the Chandler River gorge which joins the Wollomombi Gorge.
Edgars Lookout provides an easily accessible view of the gorge on the western side of the Falls lookouts.
Facilities include drinking water, pit toilets, shelter shed, fireplace and bush camping sites are available for overnight stays. An excellent information display is also provided.