Amazing hidden waterfall just an hour from Sydney is more spectacular than ever thanks to days of torrential rain – and it’s easier to get to than you think
- Social media posts showing Sydney’s National Falls waterfall roaring after rains
- Falls are one hour from CBD, in the Royal National Park, and easily accessible
- National Parks service warns visitors some parks are dangerous, so check alerts
A popular waterfall close to Sydney is at its spectacular best after once-in-100 year rainfall – making it the perfect time to visit.
The National Falls, near the town of Waterfall on the Princes Highway in the Royal National Park, have come alive dramatically after 249mm of rain fell on the area in the last week.
Amazed social media users shared photos and video of the falls, which are currently thundering as they are carrying far more water than they usually do.
National Falls are located in the Royal National Park about 50km south of Sydney, off McKell Avenue – about 3km from the Princes Highway
How National Falls usually looks after limited rainfall in the area – but things are very different after NSW’s wild weather event
‘You haven’t seen a waterfall until you’ve seen it after heavy rain!’ wrote two friends Lauren and Sam on their Instagram page.
A Sydney man who visited the falls on Monday wrote on Facebook: ‘It is really pumping bro!’
The waterfall is just off McKell Road, approximately one hour’s drive from Central Station, via the A6 or Princes Highway.
Online walking guides say the falls are easily reached via a 10-15 minute walk from the carpark and are best visited after rain.
A one-off National Park fee of $12 is payable if you don’t have a pass already.
A word of caution: the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service warned that heavy rain and flooding has made many national parks – including parts of the Royal National Park – dangerous.
It warned visitors to ‘take extreme care and check NPWS Alerts and weather forecasts for up-to-date information before visiting a national park’.
As of Wednesday morning, all pedestrian tracks and trails into Royal National Parks were still closed – but the service confirmed it was gradually re-opening them.
The incredible waterfall is seen after Sydney’s extreme rain over the past few days
Treacherous rivers around flood-stricken NSW will remain swollen into the weekend but are unlikely to rise further as weather conditions ease.
Some 24,000 people in NSW are still evacuated from their homes but the torrential rain that has battered the state for the week has finally settled.
About 60,000 people have nevertheless been told by the State Emergency Service to be ready to evacuate, with major flood warnings still in place for the Macintyre, Gwydir, Clarence and Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo rivers.
There have been 11,000 calls for help to the SES so far, and 950 flood rescues.
The Bureau of Meteorology, meanwhile, predicts there will be no major rain for at least a week, barring up to 40mm on the NSW south coast on Wednesday.
The reprieve in the weather paved the way for defence personnel and emergency service workers to get essential supplies to isolated communities, particularly North Richmond in Sydney’s northwest where floodwaters continue to rise.
It will also enable the extensive clean-up process to gradually begin.
Ms Berejiklian said the state remained in crisis despite the sunnier weather.
She says the damage inflicted on thousands of homes, businesses and infrastructure means life will be significantly disrupted for many people.
Some catchments are experiencing their highest water flows in 50 years.
‘What we are seeing before us in NSW is the unfolding of human tragedy … tens of thousands of people who will go back and never have the same experiences again,’ Ms Berejiklian said in NSW Parliament.
One man in NSW has died from the floods after he was found in his car, while another was found dead after being swept away on the Gold Coast.
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