Waterfalls in Victoria

Planning a waterfall trip in Victoria

The Great Ocean Road hinterland is the busiest waterfall country in the state. Great Otway National Park has Hopetoun Falls, Triplet Falls and Erskine Falls near Lorne, all reached on short walks through myrtle beech and tree ferns. You can see several in a day and still be back on the coast for lunch.

North-east of Melbourne, Steavenson Falls at Marysville drops 84 metres and is lit up at night. The Yarra Ranges and Dandenongs have smaller falls on quiet forest roads, which suit a half-day drive. In the Grampians (Gariwerd), MacKenzie Falls is the headline walk, with a steep stair descent to the base and one of the few falls in the west that runs all year.

Further out, Agnes Falls in South Gippsland is the highest single-span fall in Victoria, and Mount Buffalo National Park in the High Country has Ladies Bath Falls and Eurobin Falls within reach of the main road. Gippsland’s forest falls are good in winter, when the roads are quiet and the creeks are up.

Rain falls mainly in winter and spring, so June to October is the safest bet. By late summer many smaller falls dry right back, although MacKenzie Falls and the Otways usually keep some water. Check the flow badge before a long drive.

Parks Victoria doesn’t charge entry to national parks. You pay for camping, and the alpine resorts charge a gate fee in the snow season, which can affect Mount Buller and Falls Creek routes. Tracks close after storms and fires, and parks can shut on extreme fire danger days.

We don’t yet have a live park-alerts feed for Victoria, so the access badge reads Check park alerts. Look up the park on the Parks Victoria website before you go, especially after wild weather. Mobile coverage is patchy in the Otways and the High Country, so download a map first.