Culture

I have fond memories of visiting Hazelbrook’s waterfalls as a child with my grandma – but would my kids enjoy the same dash & splash?

Horeshoe Falls is perhaps Hazelbrook’s most well-known and most oft-used bushwalk. It’s nestled within the suburb, is short enough to do in a morning, and following the stream itself makes the journey enjoyable.

Parking and signage for Horseshoe Falls, off Oaklands Rd, is not obvious. We parked beside the BMX tracks and headed in on the path. You get an idea on the other walks that surround it on your way in, but with two kids under 5 the quickest hike would be Horseshoe itself. The initial track was boggy even after 4 days without rain, but with boots underfoot it was no drama.

Clever Local Carvings

The journey is reasonably signposted - except for one crucial turn where you hook left at the fork (look for the tree with the X carved on it by a clever local). The signs have all been tagged with graffiti, as expected in the local area, but are legible, if not unexciting and plain.

We saw black cockatoos near the entrance but from there on in the wildlife was mainly ants and spiders. If you were to venture in at night you could head to the glow worm cave and enjoy the show, and I’m sure there’d be sleeping snakes about.

One the way in, perhaps only five minutes from the entrance, you’ll find a picnic table and a small stream crossing, this is an ideal place to splash your feet with younger kids if you are not up for the full journey.

The actual trek is easy enough with a gradual slope and a little bit of climbing down steep mossy rocks. One couple had a dog with them but I dare say smaller pups may get stuck.

Once you arrive at Horseshoe Falls itself, you are greeted by a large open cave, cut into the cliff edge. A little bit of slippery navigation and you can walk behind the fresh pouring water for a spectacular view back into the trees and gully. There’s a few small pools which are perfect for summertime swimming, but an Autumn day with plenty of water meant it was on the icy side.

Glow-worms with earplugs?

There’s not any great place to enjoy the views from down below, you can either sit on mossy rocks or a fallen tree trunk to enjoy the spectacular water rushing to the rocks below. The static noise it creates is actually somewhat overwhelming after a while, and a short walk above the fall or further down stream will put it at a more pleasant pitch. My two boys found amusement in throwing small stones into the pools, they could have done this for hours.

The walk out is just as you came in, or you have the option to continue down stream (Eastish) to Burgess, or find your way to Alston park.

I have so many fond childhood memories of the waterfall, but revisiting now as an adult parent, I didn’t get the same enjoyment. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled some of the other local falls and areas since, but the location and ease of visiting make Horseshoe Falls a place you’ve got to venture into at least once.