FROM MY TRAVELS
The Southern Highlands
Last updated: October 2026
Belmore Falls is one of those places where the scale is hard to get across in a photograph. My old visit got closer to the water than you can go now: access to the base is permanently closed.
Route overview
Stops are approximate. Dashed lines show the order, not the roads. Optional stops are swaps, not extras.
Select a stop below to locate it. Drag to pan; use the controls or arrow keys to explore.
Before you go
- Tap and go works almost everywhere. Keep a little cash for small stalls and watch for card surcharges.
- Public-transport ticketing differs by state. Check the local ticket system. One city’s travel card won’t always work in the next.
- Uber and taxis are easy in the cities. For national parks, small towns and early pickups, book both directions. Don’t count on finding a car out there.
- English is spoken everywhere. Download the day’s map and save the exact trailhead or meeting point, especially outside town.
- Get a local SIM or an eSIM and check coverage along your route. Having signal in town doesn’t mean you’ll have it in a gorge, on an island or on a mountain road.
- Save your last connection and accommodation address offline. On driving days, sort out fuel, food and the way back before you leave town.
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A route for your visit
Adjust the pace to suit you.
Robertson before the falls
Stop in Robertson for breakfast, water and anything you want to carry on the walk. Check the exact Belmore Falls track alerts before driving out. A closed lookout walk would change the day substantially, so it’s better to make that decision in the village than at the end of the approach road.
Robertson’s village and farming landscape give the waterfall outing a lived-in setting. Leave time for the village. It’s more than a fuel stop.
Belmore Falls drops through a deeply cut escarpment landscape, with forest providing much of the sense of scale. Keep some of the valley in the frame, not just the water.
Late morning · Belmore Falls lookouts
Use the official Belmore Falls walking track and allow an hour for its lookout sequence. NSW Parks describes a 1.8-kilometre return, Grade 3 walk. Stop at the designated viewpoints for the valley and waterfall; don’t descend on unofficial tracks to recreate a photograph from below.
Lunch · Back in Robertson
Return to the village for a bakery or café lunch. Give the stop an hour and choose whether the afternoon should be another natural lookout or a slower village visit. Avoid planning several distant Southern Highlands towns into the same day.
A bakery lunch or a café table in Robertson is a good reset after the drive and walk. If you brought a picnic, use a designated spot and keep the village stop for a hot drink afterwards. This is also the sensible point to reassess the weather. A misty second waterfall can look moody, but it might just be another drive with no view. There’s no need to make lunch brief just to force both falls into the day.
Fitzroy Falls, or a village afternoon
If you want a second waterfall, check the road route and current Fitzroy Falls access, then give that outing its own travel and walking allowance. Allow extra driving and visiting time if you add it. Otherwise, stay around Robertson for a café or short browse and begin the drive home with daylight in hand.
Fitzroy Falls opens suddenly from the plateau into a broad forested valley. Use the different official lookouts to see how the same drop changes from each angle.
What to budget
Prices checked September 2026. These are for the named ticket or service. Check your date and what’s included before you pay.
- Fitzroy Falls parking: AUD 4 per vehicle/day — Applies at the visitor-centre car park; food, fuel and other stops are separate. Price source
Budget AUD 20–40 per person for a simple meal. That’s a rough guide. Drinks and nicer restaurants cost more. Price transfers separately, especially private drivers, boats and airport trips.
A few photo tips
- Soft cloud can suit waterfall photographs by reducing glare; use the designated Belmore lookouts and include the cliff for scale.
- At Fitzroy Falls, try a vertical frame for the drop and a wider one for the valley. Go earlier for more space at narrow viewing areas.
If the weather changes
Stay in Robertson or another nearby village for lunch and an indoor browse if heavy rain or closures affect the falls. Do not use an unofficial descent as an alternative.
The final day and your flight
Morning flight: save this outing for another day and go straight from your overnight base to Sydney Airport. If you’re staying out of town and the transfer is tight, move closer the night before.
Afternoon flight: Leave the Highlands early and keep sightseeing to a brief stop already on the return route. Leave time to grab your bags, get all the way to Sydney Airport and check in. Cut the outing short before you cut into that time.
Belmore Falls today
NPWS lists the lookout walk from Hindmarsh lookout carpark as 1.8 kilometres return, with a half-hour to one-hour walking allowance. Add time for stops. Stay on that route; older photos and unofficial paths don’t provide access to the closed base. Check the road and park alerts before leaving Robertson, and allow for the bends and unsealed approach on the way back.
Booking checks
Use the official lookout track and check the current park alerts before driving out. Access to the base of Belmore Falls is permanently closed. The approach from Robertson includes a narrow winding dirt road; allow time and drive carefully.
Visitor information and official links
Useful booking links (optional)
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