April 23 Three Falls Trail (Day 209)
We had a leisurely sunny morning, waiting for the temperature to rise before starting off on our hike around the 3 Falls Trail in the National Park. After an informative conversation with the campground host we decided to hike the route backwards in order to descend the hundreds of steps, rather than to ascend them! We started off hiking uphill anyway, into the eucalyptus forest.
A huge tree with a hollow trunk, Robert inside to give perspective!
We then descended the 239 steps into the cooler, shady forest of tree ferns.
along the creek bank the eucalyptus was shedding it’s bark, draped across the underbrush.
The first waterfall, Lady Barron Falls, in a sunny clearing.
After a 30 minute more hike we reached the “Tall Trees” trail and walked through an open forest of tall eucalyptus, reaching 235 feet tall! We reached the second waterfall in another half hour.
Horseshoe Falls is probably more impressive with more water, maybe in spring rather than fall! Many more tourists here, it’s a shorter walk from the Visitors Center.
A short walk further and we reached the top of the third falls, Russell Falls, as it flows over the edge, with a view out across the forested valley.
After hiking down the 200 steps to the base of Russell Falls, you can’t even see the top where we saw the water begin it’s fall to the base.
The hike back to the Visitors Center passed under this arch of two tree ferns seeming to grow together at the peak!
We completed the almost 5 mile loop hike in 3 hours and had a good rest! After dinner we returned to the last spot, under the tree fern arch, in the dark, passing our first live possums we’ve seen as they crossed our path. We relied on the moonlight as we reached the spot and then looked for the tiny blue glow of lights from the glowworms that live in the embankment behind the railing! They looked like tiny twinkling fairy lights among the vegetation!