Ellenborough Falls

The Ellenborough River drops off the edge of the Bulga Plateau in a single fall of roughly two hundred metres, among the longest single-drop waterfalls in the southern hemisphere, into a gorge of rainforest west of Taree. A lookout a few minutes from the car park gives the side-on view across the gorge, and a stairway known locally as the Stairway to Heaven descends more than six hundred steps to a viewing platform near the base, a demanding return climb that most people underestimate. The reserve has picnic facilities and a kiosk that opens at weekends. Flow varies with rain, and in dry seasons the fall thins considerably.

What you actually see

• The single drop - around two hundred metres of unbroken fall into the gorge.
• The stairway - more than six hundred steps down toward the base.
• The gorge rainforest - dense forest in the valley below the falls.
• The plateau setting - farmland and forest on the Bulga Plateau above.

When to go

March to November for comfortable walking, with the strongest flow after rain; the falls reduce markedly in dry spells. Summer is hot and humid on the climb back up. The access road is winding and partly unsealed at the end.

Honest expectations

The descent is easy and the climb back is genuinely hard, particularly in heat. There is no shortcut and no alternative route up. The drive from Taree takes over an hour on narrow roads, and facilities are limited to picnic tables and a weekend kiosk.

Nearby

Taree lies southeast; the Comboyne plateau and Wingham are close.