Nethercote Falls | Throwback

Distance: 2km
Difficulty:
Easy - To Base
Medium - To Top
Time: 20min walk-in
Bring: Snacks, camera and swimmers

This is a throwback to the first video I filmed with my first GoPro all those years ago. I fell in love with the sports camera and since then it has hardly left my side. The quality of the little cameras today is incredible.  

This video captured an amazing day spent with family and friends at one of my favourite locations in Australia, Nethercote Falls. The falls are located on the Sapphire Coast around 20 mins drive from Merimbula and offer the perfect escape from the summer heat. 

Nethercote Falls is about a 20 min walk from the car park with at least one steep section. When you arrive at the falls you are greeted with a large deep pool of water with cliffs as high as 50 meters on either side. At the far end of the pool is a water fall plunging around 7 meters. This is where most people spend their day swimming and exploring, but there is so much more to be seen. The top of the falls has plenty more to discover, however, the walk to the top of the falls is steep, slippery and quite dangerous at times, so it isn't family friendly.

An off track walk through the bush to the left of the pool will take you up a steep incline. Around halfway up this hill you get a view of what you originally thought was the top of the waterfalls. The 7m falls is just one of 3, all around the same height. These falls each cascade into their own 5m wide plunge pools that look like large spas. After admiring the view, continue through the bush and up the rocky track until you curve around above the main pool. You will eventually get to the top of the main falls.

Up here water cascades through a small canyon forming deep pools perfect for jumping in. 20m from the left of where you arrived is a small rock platform sitting around 8m above the deep dark pool below. Are you ready to take the leap? If not you can scramble down the rocks to the right and enter the canyon area that way. For those of us who struggle a little with heights, there are plenty of smaller rocks around this area to jump off. 

While you are up here, go for a swim up the canyon. There are a number of pools and narrow passages that all lead to another waterfall. I love swimming around and diving under these falls and it feels like your own bubbly spa bath. You will notice the water falling over the rocks here is much warmer than the deeper pools you have just swum through. Above these falls is a smaller canyon section that eventually opens up into a small creek that sees much more sun. 

When you have finished adventuring for the day it's time to hike back to the car. Sadly the last part of the walk to the carpark is all up hill, and usually by the time you are at the top you are ready for another swim. 

Nethercote Falls is a dangerous area and caution should always be taken when exploring. Always check water depths before jumping in. Storms often come through bringing logs and moving large amounts of rocky pebbles, so water depths do vary. Respect the natural beauty of the area and always take your rubbish with you.