See also: Waterfalls in the Sydney region

There are few cities in the world like Sydney which can boast of having natural waterfalls within their boundaries. Sydney once has hundreds throughout what is now its suburban area but residential development has caused many of them to disappear. Those which remain, though not of the scale and grandeur of the world's more spectacular falls like Victoria and Niagara, add a touch of natural beauty to the city and are a picturesque reminder of what the Sydney area used to be like. Strange as it may seem, there is a general lack of awareness and appreciation of Sydney's waterfalls. The failure or inability of the relevant authorities to provide ease of access to locations which provide the best aspects for viewing and photography, including the valleys into which the larger ones fall, is the major reason for the city's waterfalls having become Sydney's most forgotten natural treasures.
Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Broken Bay, Georges River and Port Hacking are made up of hundreds of bays and inlets formed when the sandstone escarpments of the area were drowned at the time the ice age receded. Into these drowned river valleys flow the Parramatta, Nepean-Hawkesbury, Georges and Woronora Rivers and hundreds of small creeks and tributaries. They often descend from the flat topped ridges and plateaux into the valleys and gullies in a series of pools inter-connected by races, rapids, and waterfalls.
These picturesque watercourses are most common in areas where Hawkesbury Sandstone is predominant, the rainwater runoff having carved gullies and valleys into the softer blocks of the stone over the centuries. This occurs in a belt along the Hawkesbury River from around Brooklyn to the coast, encompassing Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, then south along the northern beaches coastline and west along Sydney Harbour's northern shores. Royal National Park in Sydney's south covers part of another large area of Hawkesbury Sandstone which extends northwards to and along the shores of the Hacking, Georges and Woronora Rivers. Between these two large expanses is a narrow coastal strip extending from Coogee to South Head. It is in these three areas that most of the beautiful, picturesque waterfalls and rapids in the Sydney region can be found.
Whilst by no means all of them, those described here are the most accessible. Visiting the more remote falls should not be attempted unless you are fit and agile. The wearing of sturdy footwear is recommended. Be prepared to ford watercourses.
As might be expected, all waterfalls in the Sydney region are at their best after heavy rain, in fact some don't even flow at other times due to the alteration of drainage patterns through urbanisation. If visiting the more remote waterfalls after rain, be prepared for the soil underfoot to be muddy and slippery, especially if you have to leave a well worn track. Even if you stay on a path, be prepared for sections to have been washed away after a heavy downpour. Everything - the soil, the undergrowth, the trees above - will be wet and slippery.

Beyond the beach at the head of Shell Cove, Neutral Bay, on Sydney's lower north shore is a waterfall that has somehow managed to survive. The creek which feeds it is now a stormwater drain that flows under a house before dropping its water over the falls. Being fed only by run-off, the waterfall only functions after rain.
The falls are near the beginning of a popular foreshore walk around Cremorne Point. On the way you'll pass Kurraba Point Reserve which is the site of a quarry from which 8,000 tonnes of sandstone was extracted and used to build Fort Denison.
UBD Map 8 Ref D 13

The walking path to Sangrado Pool on Powder Hulk Bay, Middle Harbour, holds a special surprise - a picturesque waterfall in a pocket of rainforest. Located beyond the end of Sangrado Street, the falls are located in Sangrado Park, a nature reserve behind a small beach on Powder Hulk Bay. About 50 steps take the walking track down to water level, after which it passes through the valley via a walking track past the waterfall.
UBD Map 196 Ref Q 10.

Yarralumla Wildlife Sanctuary in North Rocks follows the bushland valleys of Hunts and Pages Creeks, tributaries of Darling Mills Creek which flow into Lake Parramatta. A haven for local native flora and fauna, the 2.3 km long reserve has a walking trail beside the creeks which can be accessed from Statham Avenue and Northam Drive, North Rocks and Lindisfarne Crescent, Carlingford. Upstream from the confluence of the two creeks, Pages Creek passes over a particularly beautiful waterfall. It can be accessed with ease from Palmview Crescent, North Rocks or Ferndale Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue, Carlingford.
UBD Map 191 Ref L 4

Take a pleasant walk through the bush starting at the corner of Merlin Street & Roseville Avenue, Roseville along the Little Diggers Track. This well maintained track follows Moores Creek through a fern gully. Along the way you pass numerous caves where evidence of Aboriginal habitation has been found, passing Casuarina woods, Llewellin Falls, Carlyle Falls, Little Falls, Babbage Falls and Goblers Glen. Continue on via the Two Creeks Track to Middle Harbour, or a shorter walk, enter or exit the track via an accessway at the back of the children's playground on Carlyle Road. The falls beyond the bridge across Moores Creek near Carlyle Road is unusual in that the water does not flow over the rocky ledge of the falls but through it, the falls themselves being inside a rock ledge.
UBD Map 175 Ref M 13

Sydney's most famous nudist beach has its own waterfall, a gentle cascade of water that tumbles from the clifftop down the sheer sandstone wall of the cove before running into the harbour. It can be quite spectacular after heavy rains. At other times it is little more than a trickle dripping from the vines which hang down the cliff face. UBD Map 218 Ref Q 10

There are many small waterfalls and rapids on the creeks of Sydney's upper north shore and this is one of the more well known and accessible of them. Located in St. Johns Bush, it is a short, easy walk from the lower end of St Johns Ave. beyond the Gordon Golf Course. A bridge crosses the creek above the falls though the view of the falls there says is partly obscured by bush. A walking path leads to the falls, which has two drops of approx. 3 metres each. The walking path joins with the Blackbutt Track, a fire trail which leads to Blackbutt Reserve through which flows Blackbutt Creek.

Gogong Creek, which passes through the southern suburb of Gymea Bay, flows over a series of its races on its journey to Port Hacking. A walking path gives access to the reserve which surrounds the watercourse. Join the creek either at the end of Peters Place, Gymea Bay, or Valley Way off Bunarba Road, Gymea Bay.

These falls on McCarrs Creek are located on one of the most picturesque drives in the Sydney metro area. McCarrs Creek Road commences in Terrey Hills off Mona Vale Road and winds its way through a series of forests and a rainforest gully before reaching the yachts and waterside homes of McCarrs Creek and Church Point. The falls are near the National Park's south-eastern entrance off McCarrs Creek Road below the first bridge across the creek when approached from Terrey Hills. The valley of the gorge in which the water cascades offers the best view of the falls and the pool, however there is no path down so great care must be taken if attempting a descent into the gorge.
UBD Map 117 Ref F 13

In the days before Sydney's lower north shore had become part of suburbia, the runoff from the hillsides of Willoughby, Northbridge, Narremburn and Crows Nest drained into Flat Rock Creek. The creek flowed over the cascades and down through the steep valley now occupied by Munro Park and Tunks Park before emptying into Long Bay and Middle Harbour. The parks, which were created by the filling in of the middle section of the valley in the 1920s, contain a number of playing fields. A walk up the valley to the falls is a rewarding experience. The view upwards as you pass under the Northbridge Suspension Bridge is not something one sees every day. Beyond the bridge is the rock quarry from which stone for the bridge piers was hewn and brought to the construction site by barge. The path then wanders through the serene natural bushland of the upper valley. After the path crosses the creek via stepping stones, the valley narrows and becomes a gorge. Here the creek passes over a series of picturesque cascades. Two steep paths lead from the cascades to Flat Rock Gully Reserve and Bicentennial Reserve on Small Street, Willoughby. Dawson's Track passes the ruins of the stone house of a hermit Fatty Dawson.
UBD Map 22 Ref P 5

Fisher Bay Falls

When travelling on the Spit to Manly Walking Path, the first bay reached after leaving The Spit is Fisher Bay. Two small creeks flow into the bay after rain, the most visible one is a small stream of water which cascades down the cliff face alongside the walking path before flowing across the sandy beach into the bay. Due to the level of urban development in the surrounding area, the falls no longer flow all year round. The photographs shown were taken on a day following a day of heavy rain.

Coopers Park is a 15 hectare reserve which comprises of picnic, recreation and sporting facilities below one of the largest remaining areas of natural bushland in the Eastern Suburbs. The creek running though the Park, which flows over waterfalls and cascades, is largely natural and follows the line of a volcanic dyke of the Jurassic age. The hillsides support a wide variety of native trees and shrubs. The creek and the upper valley's tree ferns and forest environment create a feeling of tranquillity in this relatively untouched natural oasis. The delightful, well maintained walking trails have rest stops at convenient locations.
UBD Map 257 Ref G 1

Castle Rock Beach at Balgowlah Heights is one of a number of wonderful, isolated little beaches scattered around the shores of Sydney Harbour that very few people know about. Behind this little ribbon of beach is a small waterfall which pours a stream of fresh water onto the sand at the foot of the rocky hillside. Access to the beach is by a path (marked on street directories as Weekes Road) from Cutler Road and the end of Ogilvie Street or from the Manly to Clontarf harbourside walking path which passes above the beach. Parking in Ogilvie Street is limited. UBD Map 197 Ref h 16

Sugarloaf Creek Falls

Butt Park, named after Francis Walter Butt, a Willoughby resident and Alderman 1937-41, is located on Eastern Valley Way. It is through this small reserve that Sugarloaf Creek passes over a natural rock ledge in a waterfall, and then under Eastern Valley Way and through a rainforest before entering Crag Cove. The waterfall and pool into which it pours is a natural feature, however the creek prior and after the falls and pond has been channelled underground.
UBD Map 196 Ref D 10.

Downstream from Eastern Valley Way, the creek flows over another much larger falls. Here, the water cascades into a 15 metre high semi-circular rock overhang into a pool, and then passes over and around giant boulders on its way to Crag Cove, Sugarloaf Bay and on to Middle Harbour. This extremely picturesque falls is accessed by a rough walking track from a small reserve alongside 71 Sunnyside Crescent, Castlecrag.
UBD Map 196 Ref F 11.

The walking track from Smoothey Park through Milray Reserve to Berry Island passes through one of a number of delightful pockets of natural bushland on Sydney Harbour's Lower North Shore. It's easy to forget how close you are to the heart of the Sydney and North Sydney business districts walking along the track which follows Berrys Creek to the harbour foreshore. The cascades close to the Wollstonecraft Railway Station and the natural vegetation of the valley is not what you would expect to hear and see so close to the centre of Sydney. It is only the sight of the oil tanks of Berrys Bay when they come into view that jolts one back to the reality of how close this natural oasis is to the city that surrounds it.
UBD Map 6 Ref J 1

One of Sydney's prettiest and least visited beaches, Collins Beach is at the head of Spring Cove near Manly. The beach's name honours Capt. David Collins, Judge Advocate with the First Fleet who was present during the incident. As well as having historic connections, the beach features a small waterfall at its head. It is fed by a creek that drains most of the runoff from the high ground of North Head into Spring Cove. Best viewed after rain, as it reduces to a trickle at other times. Access to the beach is by boat or on foot only from Collins Beach Road. UBD Map 198 Ref D 14

Devlins Creek is one of the main tributaries of the Lane Cove River on Sydney's picturesque north shore. They flow through Lane Cove National Park, 430 ha of parkland. Walking trails alongside the Lane Cove River and Scout, Devlins and Terrys Creeks follow these watercourses through a large tract of natural bushland towards the Lane Cove National Park and the Lane Cove Valley Walk which is part of the Great North Walk. A walking track commencing from the end of Britannia Street, Pennant Hills follows Devlins Creek, fording the creek at various locations.

Buckham Falls

Shrimptons Creek flows over Buckham Falls (also known as Blaxland's Falls) between Talavera Road and the Lane Cove River. Located in a narrow and generally un-visited section of Lane Cove National Park, it can be accessed via a rough track which commences at the end of Christie Road, and then doubles back towards Shrimptons Creek when it reaches the river.

Willoughby Falls

Willoughby Falls is the only one of a number of big waterfalls on the middle and lower sections of Middle Harbour to have survived the encroachment of urban development. Before the arrival of white man, the area at the base of the falls that is today known as Primrose Park was a feasting site for the local Aboriginal peoples. The earth and area surrounding the tip of Folly Point is full of the remnants of shells and bones.
After colonisation, the location was a popular picnic spot to which north and south shore residents alike would walk to the waterfall's base via a bush track from a jetty on Willoughby Bay. Alternatively, they would approach the top via a bush track to Folly Point which became Cammeray Road. The construction of a sewerage works and septic tanks, the remains of which can be seen today in Primrose Park, stemmed the stream of visitors to the falls, though this trend was reversed when the works were closed and the area opened up for use by sporting groups.
The retention of the open space of Cammeray Golf Course above the falls has preserved enough of the catchment to keep the stream flowing all year round. Underwater channelling from the golf course to the head of the falls, along with the preservation of a small pocket of bush around the cascade has ensured the location has retained as much of its charm as is possible in a built up area.
UBD Map 216 Ref H 5
Historic photograph, 1860s

The valley of Brickmakers Creek, which flows into the Lane Cove River at Boronia Park in Gladesville, was for centuries a campsite for the local Aborigine. Evidence of their camps abounds in the midden deposits and rock art throughout the park. The main attraction for the natives was the creek which provided a year round supply of fresh water. In what is now Boronia Park, the creek tumbled into a small valley over what was named Tipperary Falls to the white settlers. The now silted rock pool which once existed at the base of the falls was used extensively by the Aborigines not just as a watering place but to sharpen their stone tools. In early colonial days, the location became a popular picnic spot and swimming hole and remained that way well into the 20th century when urban development in the creek's catchment area caused its strong flow to be reduced considerably.
The waterfall flows best after rain and this is the best time to visit. While there, take a walk to the river foreshore where there is a smoke-blackened cave and midden, both evidences of its use as an Aboriginal campsite. A surveyor has marked the letters "BM 1831" into the rock near the falls.
UBD Map 214 Ref K 6

Savilles Creek forms the north western boundary of Royal National Park in Sydney's south. A pretty watercourse which drains into the North West Arm of Port Hacking, it passes through a series of small rapids and races before tumbling over a 10 metre high falls which is quite spectacular after heavy rains. There is no direct access to the falls via a walking path but the bush around it is relatively easy to pass through so it is not difficult to reach. Drive to and park at the end of Bligh Ave., Kirrawee and walk the short distance down the hill to the creek. Cross the creek as soon as possible (there is no bridge but it is easy to ford) and walk downstream for about 10 minutes to reach the falls.
UBD Map 332 Ref N 8

Parsley Bay is overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, Watsons Bay, but has much to offer the visitor including one of the few remaining waterfalls on the south side of the harbour. Circling Parsley Bay is a rocky ridge which forms a small valley through which a stream flows. It enters the valley high on the escarpment at the valley's head and cascades over rocks before winding its way through the only remaining natural stand of rainforest on Sydney Harbour's southern shore, to empty into the bay and harbour. A path from the beach and barbecue/picnic area follows the stream to the head of the valley and back and this short walk is most relaxing. Other paths lead to the harbour foreshore and up to the picturesque 130 year old suspension footbridge which spans the mouth of the Bay.
UBD Map 237 Ref Q 2

Lower Oxford Falls

Middle Creek (not to be confused with Middle Harbour Creek) makes two drops into the valley of picturesque Oxford Falls Recreation Reserve where Oxford Falls Road fords the creek at Oxford Falls. Though they are the highest falls in the Sydney metropolitan region, there is no viewing platform, and the only way to see them is from the head of the falls or from the valley below which is dense bushland. UBD Map 157 ref. B 13

Mullet Creek passes over a series of three falls and cascades on its way to Narrabeen Lakes from the high ground of Ingleside at Warriewood, in Sydney's northern coastal suburbs. The most easily accessed is the lower falls which is a short level walk from the corner of Irrawong Road and Epworth Place, Warriewood. Featured is a rock overhang which provides shelter for picnickers and a pool which for years has been a popular swimming hole for local children. UBD Map 138 Ref A 11

The valley of Gore Creek on Sydney's lower north shore is a beautiful, tranquil strip of bushland that has managed to survive the urbanisation of the surrounding area. The walking track alongside Gore Creek gives access to the Lane Cove Bushland Reserve which is dissected by River Road at Northwood. The section below River Road contains the picturesque Lilly Pilly Falls which can be viewed at close range via stone steps. The falls and water pool below it were once a popular picnic and bathing spot. Urban development upstream has severely affected the amount of water coming over the falls and he pool is heavily silted, but they are still quite impressive after heavy rain. Gore Creek enters Lane Cove River through Gore Creek Reserve where barges were loaded with timber cut from the surrounding area.
Vegetation north of River Road is a mix of open forest and rainforest, the latter being predominant in the steep-sided gullies of the upper section where the creek flows through a series of pools and races. A century ago, Paddy's Flats, located above a series of rapids, was once lush, shaded pasture where cattle grazed. Access to the reserve is from St. Vincents Road, Greenwich; Ronald Avenue, Gore Hill; River Road, Northwood; Cogan Place, Osborne Park. UBD Map 215 Ref H 7

The area covered by the Glades Bay Native Gardens was once a campsite of the local Aborigines, the Cammeraigal. Remnants of shells can be seen along g the shoreline; axe grinding grooves can be found on rocks beside the cascades and creek which passes through the reserve. The location also contains 11 carvings, the easiest to identify being two jumping kangaroos which are among the best preserved of the few remaining examples of Aboriginal rock art east of the Sydney central business district. A path along the eastern border of the reserve passes through one of a handful of estuarine fringes of mangroves which were once prolific along the shores of the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers. York Street, Gladesville
UBD Map 214 Ref B 11

Lower Frenchs Creek Falls

After Oxford Falls, a pair of waterfalls on the upper reaches of Frenchs Creek at Belrose would have to be the most visually stunning of all waterfalls of the inner Sydney metropolitan area after rain. Located off the badly eroded Frenchs Creek Walking Track in Garigal National Park, they consist of a pair of giant steps a hundred or so metres apart over which the creek flows on its way from the top of the escarpment into the valley below.

Upper Frenchs Creek Falls

Access to the top of each falls is good, however for the best view (from the rock pools at their base) one has to struggle down a steep, rugged hillside while pushing through dense undergrowth. This is quite dangerous, especially after rain when the foliage overhead and ground underfoot is damp, slippery and unstable. Unfortunately, this is when the falls are at their most spectacular. Access is via the walking track at the end of Wannita Road, Belrose.
UBD Map 156 Ref B 13

Flat Rock Bay Falls

At the southern tip of Killarney Heights is a beautiful, secluded bay with a small beach. Behind the beach the waters of Flat Rock Creek tumble down the escarpment in a number of spectacular falls and races before entering the bay at the head of the beach. The beach and the falls behind it can be accessed via the Flat Rock Walking Track from Killarney Point, from a track at the end of Killarney Drive and from the Magazine Track which passes behind the historic Bantry Bay explosives compound. Access to the falls at various stages of its descent into the harbour is available off the Killarney Drive track but should not be attempted unless you are a confident bushwalker.
UBD Map 196 Ref K 3

Manly Dam Reserve on Sydney's northern beaches is an important area of urban bushland which has for years has been a place to relax and unwind for local residents. The Curl Curl Creek Circuit Track is an easy 8 km pathway through the bush which loops Manly Reservoir. On the way are numerous scenic vistas, Aboriginal rock carving sites and two waterfalls over which Curl Curl Creek falls on its way from the Allambie Heights plateau to Manly Dam.

A 16 metre high waterfall that flows deep in the relatively untouched bushland of Garigal National Park at the northern end of Bantry Bay. Featuring evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the overhangs nearby, the falls are hard to reach these days as a track to the base of them was swallowed up by regenerating bush after a fire swept through the valley in the 1980s. Access, such as it is, is via the Cook Street Track which has entry points in Cook Street and Currie Road, Forestville. The Bay and Magazine Tracks take bushwalkers past three smaller races and falls on the Main Creek. The Bay Track can be accessed from the eastern shore of Bantry Bay or from the end of Grattan Crescent. When walking the Bay Track you will come across the Natural Bridge Track. The natural rock bridge to which it leads is nestled deep in the valley and takes the track over Main Creek. The track continues up the steep hill to the Bluff Lookout which offers panoramic views south across Bantry Bay.
UBD Map 176 Ref G 13

Bronte and Tamarama are two crescent shaped beaches on Sydney's eastern suburbs beach strip which were formed by watercourses cutting their way through the sandstone cliffs and depositing the silt they washed down on the shoreline. Take a walk alongside the creeks up the valleys behind each of the beaches and you will find the creeks enter their valleys via picturesque waterfalls. Bronte Falls (left), located near historic Bronte House, has been a popular picnic spot for years offering peace and tranquillity, though a lot of water flows over the falls these days. Though Tamarama Falls (below) is taller and less of a series of rapids than its neighbour, its aspect is spoiled somewhat by a block of units built over the creek above the falls, leaving the latter looking somewhat out of place.
UBD Map 257 Ref K 8 and UBD Map 257 Ref M 7

E.G. Waterhouse Camellia Gardens in President Avenue, Caringbah is a peaceful oasis which features camellias, ferns and azaleas. A creek flows through the gardens and then over a small waterfall into Kareena Park at the head of Yowie Bay The park has a short but pleasant bush walking path alongside the bay.
UBD Map 333 Ref Q 7

Attunga Falls, also at the head of the bay but on the eastern side, can be found in bushland at the end of Clifford Road. The creek's lower valley is somewhat spoiled by a sewerage pipe which passes overhead above the falls and by rubbish deposited on the bay's shoreline by high tides. Coonong Creek, which passes through the suburb of Gymea Bay, flows over a series of its races on its journey to this waterfall near the shores of Port Hacking. A walking path gives access to the reserve which surrounds the watercourse.

There are numerous creeks on the a northern shore of Port Hacking which pass over races and/or waterfalls on their way down the rocky hillside to Port Hacking. Extensive suburban development has reduced the flow of water in them substantially and a handful, including the creek which flows through Alcheringa Park, in Forest Road, Miranda, have been protected from further destruction by the retention of a ribbon of natural bushland around them. Alcheringa Creek flows over a small but pretty series of falls in the bushland beyond the sports oval of the reserve. The rocks at the top end towards Forest Road contain the remains of Aboriginal rock engravings which are still visible.
UBD Map 333 Ref J 8