Wollomombi Falls

The Wollomombi River reaches the edge of the New England tableland and falls into a gorge in a drop of around two hundred metres, one of the highest waterfalls in Australia, with the neighbouring Chandler Falls dropping into the same chasm from a side valley. Lookouts a short walk from the car park give views into the gorge and across to both falls, and a steeper track descends partway for a different angle. The falls are part of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, a World Heritage-listed area of gorges and dry rainforest that holds one of the largest concentrations of gorge country in eastern Australia. Flow depends heavily on rain, and in dry spells the falls reduce to threads.

What you actually see

• The main drop - the Wollomombi falling around two hundred metres into the gorge.
• Chandler Falls - the second fall entering the same chasm.
• The gorge lookouts - short walks to viewpoints along the rim.
• The tableland edge - dry forest and cliffs where the plateau ends.

When to go

March to November for comfortable walking; the falls run strongest after summer or autumn rain and can be nearly dry in drought. Winter mornings are frosty on the tableland. Summer is hot and the gorge holds the heat.

Honest expectations

Flow is entirely rain-dependent and disappointment is common in dry years. Cliff edges are unfenced in places and the drops are lethal. Vehicle entry is charged, and the last stretch of road is unsealed.

Nearby

Armidale lies west; Dorrigo and the coast are east along Waterfall Way.