St Columba Falls

The South George River drops around ninety metres over a rock face in the forest above Pyengana, one of the highest falls in Tasmania, reached by a well-formed track of about fifteen minutes each way descending through tree ferns, myrtle and sassafras to a viewing platform at the base. The falls run reliably year-round given northeast Tasmania's rainfall, and are strongest in winter and spring. The valley below is dairy country, and the Pyengana Dairy makes a cloth-bound cheddar sold at the farm gate. The Pub in the Paddock nearby is a long-running country hotel known for a beer-drinking pig, a tradition now discontinued.

What you actually see

• The falls - ninety metres of water down a rock face into rainforest.
• The forest track - a short descent through ferns and myrtle.
• Pyengana Dairy - cloth-bound cheddar made in the valley below.
• The Pub in the Paddock - the country hotel on the road in.

When to go

Year-round; flow is strongest from winter into spring and reduces in a dry summer. The track can be slippery after rain. The last stretch of road is unsealed but generally fine for conventional cars.

Honest expectations

The walk is short and the site is a single viewpoint, so the visit takes under an hour. Facilities are limited to a car park and toilets. The final road section is unsealed and narrow.

Nearby

Pyengana and its dairy are minutes away; St Helens lies east on the coast.