Hendersons Falls

It is not often that Australia is associated with the landscape of the rainforest, less so a temperate rainforest. Often, the vision of Australia is a dry Continent, of a vast ochre dusted Outback stretching beyond horizons. Indeed so, Australia is the driest Continent on Earth excepting Antarctica and most of our population of 21 million is found in the State capital cities that cling along the coastline from Perth in Western Australia, anti-clockwise via Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney (the most populous), Brisbane to Darwin in the Northern Territory. There are vast plains, precarious with seasonal fecundity. There is the 3,500 kilometre/2,175 mile line of unbroken mountains called The Great Dividing Range (the fourth longest in the World) which serves as a barrier along the eastern aspect of the Continent (in this riband between coastline and mountains most of the capital cities are located) from western Victoria to the tip of Queensland at Cape York. The other side of this Range are the fields of farming and then the vastness of the Outback, which holds both a beauty and terrors. Yet, in increasing small preserves there are rainforests. Notably in northern Queensland, fed by drenching seasonal rains. Pockets of temperate forests are in the island State of Tasmania, though always under peril of rapacious logging for mere woodchips and short term Government royalties. In my home State of Victoria, there is the Otway Ranges one of the few examples worldwide of a mostly unmolested temperate rainforest. This once much vaster forest is located to the south-west of Melbourne about 2-3 hours drive away. The Otway Ranges are a rich oasis of flora and fauna and a place under constant peril from the need of resources, bushfire and development. Fortunately, a National Park now occupies 103,000 hectares/254,519 acres offering a vast diversity of natural experiences ranging from spectacular waterfalls, bubbling creeks and rivers seeped with tannins and minerals and of course massive stand of all manner of flora ranging from Mountain Ash Eucalypts to delicate native orchids. It is a bushwalkers bonanza with hundreds of tracks of various grades criss-crossing through the forests. It is also one of the few places where you can literally disappear into the forest for days on end - this greatly appeals to me of course.

Getting to the eastern approach to Otway Ranges by public transport requires a short train journey to the second largest City in Victoria, Geelong (population estimated at 162,000 being 75 kilometres/47 miles from Melbourne). Then a connecting daily Bus service that journeys along the famous Great Ocean Road. This 243 kilometre/151 mile (two narrow lanes) road from Torquay to Warrnambool hugs the south-western Victoria coastline with towering hills on the other side. This road was built during 1919-1922 by over 3,000 returned Soldiers who served in World War I (1914-1918) as a memorial for their fallen Comrades. Australia lost over 60,000 killed from her exclusively Volunteer Army/Navy and fledging Air Corps in that conflict, the highest per capita of population (then population was around 5 million) of any combatants. Most of the work on the road, due to the dangerous terrain, was done by pick and shovel and progressed roughly at the rate of 3 kilometres/just over a mile, per month. Their legacy is one of the finest roads offering a spectacular driving experience. I have learnt that the average speed limit along its length is 80 kilometres per hour/50 miles an hour - you would be game to do that speed I reckon too! Though I have no way of ever reaching that speed at my plod pace, which is around a wobbly 2-3 kilometres an hour (a mile and a sort of bit) and that is with a tail wind and after lots of cheesecakes in my belly. One of the towns linked by this impressive road is the township of Lorne (population just over 1,000) located 138 kilometres/85 miles from Melbourne. Lorne, which nestles between the Hills of the Otway Range and the coast was founded in the mid 1800s and is now a very popular summertime playground with its population swelling to over 5,000 between late December and early February. It is also a jumping off point to the Great Otway National Park. Within a handful or so kilometres from Lorne is Victoria's highest waterfall, Erskine Falls (32 metres/105 feet) and there is challenging walk of about 8 kilometres/5 miles (that takes over 3 hours one way) following the Erskine River up to the base of the Falls or for the more sedate you can drive to the top of the Falls and descend via a steep though stepped pathway (for the timid of spirit only). The walk is much better fun; if somewhat bone jarring, due to the many times you rock and river scramble along the way. Also near where Lorne is located one of the finest short distance walks that I have enjoyed on my many plods. This walk takes you to Phantom Falls, The Canyon, Hendersons Falls and Won Won Falls through a rollicking 7 kilometre/4 mile roughly circuitous series of tracks that reach deep into the forest. A perfect day walk, which I have undertaken a few times over the years.

Today though was the start of a series of walks around Lorne, with me staying very el-cheapo at a B&B helped by the great kindness of its owner who I met one day whilst Geocaching near Ballarat. He offered me a room for a pittance realising I am not loaded with loot. He was good to his word too which made this unexpected trip just possible. After I alighted somewhat jaded by the Bus journey, (the road trip was a rather willowy affair due to the snaky turns along the road) and 'checked in', I plumped for Henderson Falls alone, located roughly 5 kilometres/3 miles inland from Lorne and reached after about 3 hours of walking, albeit that I dawdled along the way constantly stopping to look at the flora and off-tracking just to feel 'in' the bush completely. One of my favourite things to do is to bush bash being careful not to trample the flora, find a quiet location, sit on a log or a rock and sip away on a coffee from my thermos or just shut my eyes and listen to the sounds. The Falls are a gentle cascading veil over a not immodest 8 metres/26 feet drop highlighted by the pancake shape of basalt rocks. It is another oasis in a series of oasis in the forest and exceptionally beautiful with its huge Tree Ferns. The water is safe to drink being so clear, clean and crisp and very cold to the touch. Apart from the Tree Ferns, massive Mountain Ash Eucalypts dominate around the Falls and you felt transported to the time of Dinosaurs, such is the longevity of this ancient floral species. Of course, I did not see a Dinosaur though I always look for some - you just never know - so another 'good reason' to always carry your Camera with you.

The photo is the amalgamation of three bracketed photos and shows a portion of Hendersons Falls and an example of the many Tree Ferns.

Future postings (when I can hijack a PC) I hope will show other aspects of this wonderful rainforest.

Oddly, whilst looking up details about Lorne, I was shown a stanza of a Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) poem 'Flowers' which refers to Lorne, Erskine Falls, Cora Lynn Cascades, and what Kipling refers to as Otway Gums, presumably he means the huge Mountain Ash. How Kipling got to Lorne is something I shall investigate upon my return but I just cannot imagine this bombastic, though gifted writer, visiting Lorne!

Buy my English posies!
You that will not turn -
Buy my hot-wood clematis,
Buy a frond o' fern
Gathered where the Erskine leaps
Down the road to Lorne -
Buy my Christmas creeper
And I'll say where you were born!
West away from Melbourne dust holidays begin -
They that mock at Paradise woo at Cora Lynn -
Through the great South Otway gums sings the great South Main -
Take the flower and turn the hour, and kiss your love again!