Most people head down to the Southern Highlands for the quaint towns, cooler weather or stellar wineries. But, in between you’ll find some pretty breathtaking views – 90m waterfalls, jaw-dropping cliffs and more walking tracks than you can fit into just one weekend.
Over a few visits to the area, we’ve explored some of the Southern Highlands’ best waterfalls. If you need to squeeze just a few into a day trip or weekend visit, here’s where to go.
Southern Highlands waterfalls to visit
Fitzroy Falls
Where is it? Morton National Park, Fitzroy Falls, NSW
How tall is Fitzroy Falls? 81 m
Accessibility: While the track to the first viewpoint is flat, there are a few stairs involved to get the best view.
Parking fee: $4 (or free if you have a NSW Parks Pass)
What is there to do at Fitzroy Falls? From the visitors centre, there are a few walking tracks along the rim of the cliff with stellar views of the waterfalls and the gorge below. The views have plenty of Blue Mountains-like vibes, with none of the crowds.
✅ We’ve been here!
Belmore Falls
Where is it? Morton National Park, Robertson, NSW
How tall is Belmore Falls? 130 m
Accessibility: While it’s not a difficult track, it’s not wheelchair- or pram-friendly.
What is there to do at Belmore Falls? There’s a 1.8-km walking track that will take you to a few viewpoints of the falls. Unfortunately, access to the base of the falls is closed for the time being.
✅ We’ve been here!
Carrington Falls
Where is it? Budderoo National Park, Robertson, NSW
How tall is Carrington Falls? 90 m
Accessibility: Not wheelchair- or pram-friendly.
Parking fee: None
What is there to do at Carrington Falls? From the car park, there’s a 600-metre walking track to a few view points of the falls and the water-carved gorge it crashes into. You can also step right out onto the rocks toward the top. While we wouldn’t really advise swimming here, the water is relatively calm and you can dip your feet into the water for a refreshing step or two on a hot day.
✅ We’ve been here!
Upper Minnamurra Falls
Where is it? Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, Budderoo National Park, Jamberoo, NSW
How tall is Upper Minnamurra Falls? 22m
Accessibility: The falls are not wheelchair- or pram-friendly, but you are able to access the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre without steps. Here you’ll be able to learn a bit about the flora and fauna of the surrounding area.
What is there to do at Upper Minnamurra Falls? There’s two walks, the 1.8 km Lyrebird Loop and the longer 4.2 km Minnamurra Falls walk, which will take you to the upper falls.
✅ We’ve been here!
Map of these waterfalls
It’s a bit of a drive between the waterfalls, so we recommend doing them in the order they’re listed above (or in reverse) to avoid too much backtracking along the way. If you go in order, the total length of the drive is just under 60km.
If you’re looking for some cute towns to stop in along the way, or as a side trip to grab some lunch, check out nearby places like Berry, Kiama, Robertson or Bowral. While only Robertson is truly along the way, the rest aren’t too far away.
Tips for visiting waterfalls in the Southern Highlands
- Avoid visiting Belmore Falls here after a lot of rain. You’ll need to cross over some water in your car to get to the falls and the depth does change depending on how much rain there has been. On our first visit, it was relatively dry, but on our second visit, we didn’t feel safe crossing the water in our 2WD.
- While there’s still a short walk, Fitzroy Falls is the most accessible of these four waterfalls.
- If you’re looking to avoid paying for parking, there’s free parking when you visit Carrington Falls and Belmore Falls
