Travel Archives - Page 3 of 3

by Annabel Claire - October 30, 2017January 6, 2019

John Forrest National Park Falls, John Forrest National Park, Perth – Western Australia, Australia

Exploring Perth Hills will always bring satisfaction when it comes to waterfalls, and the National Park Falls up at John Forrest are no exception.

John Forrest National Park is Perth’s oldest National Park, about 25-30 minutes out of Perth CBD. Plenty of information on how to get to the falls can be found here.

However, I have a secret short-cut. Travel along Great Eastern Highway Bypass, then exit left at Roe Highway and turn right onto Morrison Road. Follow this until you come across a round-about with a small car park to the left (this is called Pechey Road Carpark).

From here, you can walk towards the Swan View Tunnel (keeping to the right on the gravel path) and follow that towards the falls.

I visited the park on my own, strolling along the orange dusty gravel track, admiring the clear blue sky and the sunshine, the view of the million-shades-of-green landscape and whatever insect or bird that flitted by.

Keep to the right for the tunnel, the left to avoid.

I walked through the old railway tunnel, shining my torch on the old faded bricks, and wobbling over stones, trying to avoid muddy slush. Without the torch, you see nothing, but the bright, distant light ahead distorting how much farther you still have to travel.

The beginning of the tunnel…

Inside the tunnel looking back…

Looking how far until the exit of the tunnel…

Out of the tunnel, I then headed for the falls, where a small wooden bridge takes you over the very top rocks. To get to the bottom, you have to continue up to higher ground, and veer left onto the gravel walking trail. These trails are marked only with wooden stumps with an outline of an eagle bolted to them. It is slim and steep, so wear proper shoes and remember to be on the look out for snakes and sharp shrubs.

Once down at the bottom, there’s the viewing platform smack-bang in the middle. I, however, prefer to generally “Bear Grylls” my way around the smooth, red rocks and gushing stream. It was a magical day for me – though probably a bit late in the year, as the falls were not as full as they would be in June-September (this visit was around November).

As you can see, the falls weren’t flowing extensively from the top during my visit, so I will definitely be returning in the winter months. Though the weather on the day I went was incredible, so I can’t complain about that.

I managed to return to John Forest National Park Falls in October 2017, and while they were flowing a bit better (check out the photos below!), I still recommend a winter visit.

Quick Facts

Last visit	October 2017
Best Time	July-October
Start / Finish	Pechey Road Carpark
Unsealed Roads	No
Walking distance	2km return
Time	1hr
Difficulty	Easy, take torch if going through tunnel
Facilities	None this way, Picnic area other side
Lat & Long	unknown
Nearby	Hovea Falls
Watercourse	Jane Brook

by Annabel Claire - October 30, 2017November 16, 2017

Lesmurdie Falls, Mundy Regional Park, Perth – Western Australia, Australia

I was on my flight home to Perth, settled into my aisle seat with a scratchy Qantas blanket and puffy pillow (I always wonder if they wash those things or chuck them out, but it’s probably best not to think about it). In any case, I was relatively comfortable, apart from freaking out about the possibility of the plane crashing, like I always do when I’m on a flight. Irrational, really. But a fear all the same.

The plane shuddered slightly and my stomach flip-flopped. But then they served dinner, a steamy butter chicken with rice, and I organised my tray table – cup on the right for wine, cup on the left for tea, rubbish in the seat pocket so it’s out of the way, you know the drill. The hippie girl next to me smelled like smoke and spilled her red wine all over my foot, but other than that it was a good flight.

Halfway through, it hit me. I was going home. I didn’t really want to go home (even if it was just for a weekend), other than to see my family for hugs and kisses and maybe a hot cross bun or two (or five). I wasn’t quite ready to be back in my old room, back in that old routine. So I thought I better get a wriggle on with making plans to keep myself busy. That’s when Lesmurdie falls came to mind. I hadn’t had a chance to visit them before I left my home town, and what better way to spend some quality time with Mum than on a bush hike? I’m not sure she agreed, but I dragged her along anyway.

How to get there:

Lesmurdie is located in the Shire of Kalamunda, also known as ‘Up in the Hills’ in Perth jargon. It’s practically the only part of Perth that isn’t deadpan flat. But anyway. The falls are in Lesmurdie – hence Lesmurdie Falls (thanks captain obvious), and are relatively easy to get to.

They are best accessed from Welshpool Road East, or Kalamunda Road, depending on where you are coming from. I’ve only outlined Welshpool Road directions because it’s the way we went.

From Welshpool Road:
Right or Left (depending which way you’re travelling) into Gladys Road.
Left into George Road.
Follow George Road as it curves around to the right, until you reach Ford Road.
Turn left onto Ford Road.
You’ll reach a fork in the road.
Turn right onto Nelson crescent.
Follow Nelson crescent until you hit Falls road.
Turn left into Falls road – this will be a ‘No Through Road’, but you’ll see the carpark before you reach the dead-end.
Congrats! You’ve arrived! See? Easy.

So Mum and I arrived. Up at the top of the falls, we had a steep descent ahead of us. There are a few hiking trails to choose from, the sign at the beginning of the trail will show you where each one goes and how long it will take. After a little uhmming and ahhing, we decided to take The Falls Trail – only a 640m return. I desperately wanted to manoeuvre to the bottom of the falls to watch them flow, and The Foot of the Falls trail is a continuation of The Falls Trail, so that was a win-win for me.

The walk is a relatively easy one, and we made our way leisurely, following the signs along the way. Luckily, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to find your way to these falls. Soon enough, we reached the peak where the view overlooking Perth and the city is simply phenomenal. If anything, you should visit these falls to stare out at that.

It was 27 degrees but it felt more like thirty-something as we walked, sweat trickling down my back between my backpack and my shoulder blades. There wasn’t a whisp of wind in the air, but you couldn’t complain about the weather. Not when it produced views like this.

There are two lookout spots made of metal frames – what I assume is the end of The Falls Trail. We reached these and peered down at the valley from the top of the waterfall. The falls were fairly dry, a testament to this time of the year in Perth. We were lucky they were flowing at all, really, probably due to the heavy rainfall which recorded the wettest day ever in February.

I tried my best to get good photographs of the falls, which undulate down the steep slopes. I ventured further down the pathway, stepped onto precarious rocks and bent my knees in typical ‘photographer’ stance. But it was no use, the lighting wasn’t doing the scene any justice. So we made the split decision to continue to The Foot of the Falls (2km return).

If you don’t like stairs, this trail is definitely not for you. Wide wooden steps of orangey-red dirt lead the way towards the bottom of the falls.

A thin, dry, gravel path then winds its way through shrubs, seemingly taking you in the complete wrong direction. Trust me, you’re headed the right way.

Soon, we reached a fork in the road and pondered over the huge descent. Hint: you want to follow the path down to the right, until you pass another carpark. There wasn’t any signage at this point, so it was a bit of a gamble. I guess it’s all part of the adventure.

My shoes kept slipping on the gravel and we giggled amidst a series of “Did you have a nice trip?” and “You didn’t send me a postcard!” But in all seriousness, maybe wear some shoes that have a bit of grip to them. Apparently my old sneakers have decided they’ve had enough of being grippy.

Finally, we reached the smoother path that resides next to the riverbank, listening to the calm trickle of water as it gradually became louder. I skipped with excitement – we were almost there.

It seemed as though the windy river would never end. Animals rustled the bushes nearby, bees hummed in the distance. We took it all in as we walked.

I love how every time you go on a nature walk, it will never be the same again. Things are ever-changing, and that’s what makes the experience so worthwhile. You just have to stop when you’re going to admire things, otherwise you can’t see the uneven ground below you and you’ll end up tripping again. Which is embarrassing, trust me.

Just when I thought we’d never make it, BOOM, there they were. Lesmurdie Falls. We could see the lookouts that we had come from, and thin sprays of water flowing down the rock-face, which is a lot steeper than it looks in photographs.

I tip-toed over cobbled rocks like stepping-stones, working my way towards the water. Mum was less eager, but eventually found her way. Our glutes were sore, our shoulders were red & raw (sunscreen: would recommend) and we were puffing, deep breaths from our lungs. We chugged down water that had warmed inside our plastic bottles. But we had made it.

There’s something triumphant about finally finding the falls. It’s like the reward you get for doing some damn hard-work. You can sit, or stand, and admire them for a little while, taking it all in and congratulating yourself for making it.

Or, if you’re like me, you can kick off your shoes, toss out your hair and jump straight under the fresh, clean water – fully clothed, might I add. Yeah, I’m crazy. But it was hot, and we’d made it this far. I wasn’t about to leave without experiencing the falls first-hand.

The water flow was stronger than I realised, and I had to carefully slide myself along mossy, slippery rocks, feeling for secure cracks and dips for my feet to rest. It’s dangerous, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a thrill I can’t replace. Ironic really, since I can’t even sit on an aeroplane without freaking out. It’s far more dangerous to climb slippery, rocky slopes than it is to sit on an aircraft. But I digress.

The icy cold water soaked me through – I just laughed and spluttered and threw my arms in the air, feeling the rush of water clean out my fingernails and wash through my hair.

It certainly cooled me off for the trek back to the top. And boy oh boy, a trek it was. You forget when you’re going downhill that you’ll have to go back up. My wet clothes clung to me and kept me from overheating, trudging uphill for what felt like forever (my iPhone tells me it was 30 flights of stairs, but who knows how accurate that really is). We made it, though, obviously, or I wouldn’t have lived to tell this tale. But it was worth every step.

I have since returned to Lesmurdie Falls in October, and they look mighty different after winter! Check out the pics below!

Quick Facts

Last visit	October 2017
Best Time	July-September
Start / Finish	Lesmurdie Falls Carpark
Unsealed Roads	No
Walking distance	Falls Trail 640m return, Foot of Falls 2km return
Time	Allow 2hrs
Difficulty	Moderate
Facilities	Picnic tables, Toilets
Lat & Long	31.9943° S, 116.0337° E
Nearby	Shire of Kalamunda
Watercourse	Lesmurdie Brook

by Annabel Claire - October 30, 2017November 16, 2017

Huka Falls, Lake Taupo – North Island, New Zealand

In the beautiful North Island of New Zealand, Lake Taupo is drained by the monstrous Huka Falls of turquoise and crystal blues, gushing past at incredible speeds…

Notorious for it’s beautiful landscape (and if you forget about the Earthquakes), New Zealand is a must-visit home to some beautiful waterfalls.

If you’re headed to the North Island of NZ, you have to visit the incredible Huka falls (pronounced Hooka, unlike the legendary Hukka performed as New Zealand traditional dancing). Just thought I’d mention that one.

I got to experience the Huka falls while being thrown around on a jiggling Contiki bus (since the road to them is thin and windy). We were stopping at Lake Taupo for the night and swung by the falls on the way. But if you don’t have the luxury of being on tour – they aren’t too hard to find. Simply follow the signs; or refer to the maps below.

When we arrived at the falls, I stepped off the bus into a chilly, breezy air and could immediately hear the rush of water. The carpark is situated right next to the falls and the bridge in the above cover photo, so they’re not difficult to get to by any means.

I rushed eagerly towards the foot bridge and got my first glimpse of the Huka falls. The falls are so powerful, with gushing water rushing past ferociously below. Seemingly, the falls are not coherently dropping downwards, like most waterfalls do. At least the don’t seem to…. In an odd way, they seem to be kind of flat… But, of course, that’s not the case.

The stone bridge built across them makes it seem like a fast-moving river (we soon learned 220,000 litres-per-second), but if you venture to the second viewing platform, another 600m or so down the track, you can see where the falls drop down and become the Waikato River.

I stood, mesmerised by the bright turquoise colour of the falls. Plenty of waterfalls show white froth and clear water, revealing the rock behind them. But this, this was something else. The copious amount of water in these falls creates the most incredible blues. It is a great spot to stare and ponder your insignificant size and power in relation to parts of nature. I had to giggle at that.

You’d never be able to swim in these falls, unfortunately. However, you can go on ‘speed boat rides’ down parts of them and into the river that flows onwards – get in touch with Huka Falls Jet if you’re keen! But for me, simply standing and gazing was more than enough.

Quick Facts

Last visit	June 2016
Best Time	Year-round
Start / Finish	Huka Falls Carpark
Unsealed Roads	No
Walking distance	100m
Time	2mins
Difficulty	Super Easy
Facilities	Toilets
Lat & Long	38.6486° S, 176.0900° E
Nearby	Lake Taupo, Lake Taupo Bungy
Watercourse	Waikato River

by Annabel Claire - October 17, 2017November 16, 2017

Serpentine Falls – Western Australia, Australia

A small water sanctuary, just South-East of Perth, Western Australia lies Serpentine Falls, where we can frolic and play in nature’s pool.

Serpentine Falls are located about 55km South-east of Perth, WA. The drive is quite easy really (approximately 1 hr and 10 minutes from the city), though you may miss the final turn off if you aren’t careful.

If you are coming from Perth City, head straight down Kwinana Freeway. You will then get to turn onto a typically (and hilariously) Aussie-named exit – are you ready for this? – Mundjidong Road, which will eventually reach South Western Highway. (If you’re coming up to the falls from the South, anywhere past the Baldivis kind of area then you will exit the Freeway onto Karnup Road, which also hits South Western Highway.

Either way, turn right onto South Western Highway and if you came from Mundjidong, follow that for another 25km’s or so and you’ll find Falls Road. If you’re coming from Karnup, Falls Road will be right opposite you. Like I said, it’s easy to miss, so be on the look out on your left for a tiny little could-you-even-call-it-that service station, and the Serpentine Park Home Village next door. You’ll find it eventually, trust.

The only not-so-great-thing about these falls is that you have to pay $12 entry if you are in a vehicle. But that goes to maintaining the park, wildlife and facilities. So it’s not so bad, really.

The carpark area is also surrounded by park benches and a picnic area, so it’s a great spot to take some food and friends and enjoy being with nature. Though word of warning – the kangaroos are not shy, and will definitely try and join you.

The Serpentine Park is a great spot for bush walking – and if you’re up for the trek, you can find your way to the top of the falls. But for those lesser inclined to go hiking – you can simply embark on the short, easy walk to the falls pool (off to the right of the overflow carpark area – which is to the left of the picnic area). If you want more info, you can visit The Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Now – to the falls!

The falls are small, but beautiful. A perfect place to relax on the rocks, or glide through the (freezing cold, might I add) water.

If you visit in the summer months, the falls will likely not be flowing very much, or at all. But it is a great time of the year for swimming in the pool. The winter months are an awesome time to see the falls flowing at their full capacity, but it will be far too cold to venture into the water.

Although, I wish I could say that it goes without saying, but it doesn’t: Be Careful. This tiny sanctuary has had 12 deaths due to people underestimating how shallow it really is. So basically, don’t go leaping off the rocks. Simply sit back, be smart, and enjoy the fact that we get to experience these 100 year-old falls in the first place.

Quick Facts

Last visit	October 2017
Best Time	Nov-Feb for swimming, June/July for water flow
Start / Finish	Serpentine National Park Falls Rd Carpark open 8.30am-5pm, plan arrival before 10am. $13 entry for vehicles.
Unsealed Roads	No
Walking distance	400meters
Time	5mins
Difficulty	Easy
Facilities	BBQs, Picnic Tables and Toilets
Lat & Long	32.3679° S, 116.0110° E
Nearby	Serpentine Camping Centre, Millbrook Winery
Watercourse	Serpentine River

by Annabel Claire - October 17, 2017November 16, 2017

Tegenungan Waterfall, Ubud – Bali, Indonesia

Ah, Bali.

We are no strangers to Bali being home of countless waterfalls. Some easy to find, some not-so-easy. Luckily, Tegenungan Waterfall in Ubud is one of the easier ones to find. By easy, I mean it is more well-known and popular with the tourists.

During my short stay in Kuta, myself and my boyfriend of the time organised for a driver to take us on a day-trip, with the number one priority the monkey forrest in Ubud. It’s not hard to find driver’s and deals in Bali, and he set us a good price which happened to also include various stops along the way (highly recommend Luwak coffee, a jewellery place, temples and rice fields).

Not that you would need to know if you have a driver, but the falls are located in Tegenungan Kemenah village (which is just north of Denpasar) and a small tiki-hut at the edge of the carpark requires you to hand over 20,000 Rupiah per person as entry.

It was my first time in Bali, and the muggy humidity paired with the blazing sun was starting to get to me. The felt-like-a-million steps to the falls did not help.

But, like anything, if you put in the hard work, it’s worth it. After what felt like an endless descent, we finally caught a glimpse of the falls, which seemed many more miles away.

We then had to snake around to the left, along what looked like pretty unstable wooden platforms and bridges to then make our way down to the bottom, where the surroundings are luscious and beautiful.

By this time, we were sticky and sweaty and more than ready to get into the water. Hobbling over smooth pebble-stones and muddy slush to get to the water wasn’t the easiest thing, but we managed.

We quickly discovered these falls have an enormous amount of strength to them, water with brute force literally cascades down them and can push you over if you stand under it.

Laughing and spluttering in the spray, we had a ball.

If you’re adventurous and want to get a bit closer to the top – a small path up the right-hand side can lead you up to a rocky ledge much closer to the top of the waterfall, for some different angles of the falls, surrounded by luscious greenery.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to these falls, as do many of the tourists who visit Bali. Would highly recommend making the pit-stop and allocating some time in the refreshing spray.

Quick Facts

Last visit	December 2015
Best Time	Year-round
Start / Finish	Carpark at Jl. Raya
Unsealed Roads	Yes but good condition
Walking distance	Short but with over 150 steps
Time	15 minutes one way
Difficulty	Easy
Facilities	Cafe
Lat & Long	8.5754° S, 115.2884° E
Nearby	Monkey forest (30 mins), Ubud
Watercourse	unknown

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