Nethercote Falls is one of the most incredible swimming holes in NSW. The gorge pool alone would be utterly spectacular but when you add in the waterfall that flows from inside a cave, it really takes it to the next level.
I’d wanted to visit for years and I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as extraordinary as it actually is.
Suffice to say, if you’re visiting the Far South Coast, it’s a must do and if you’re not, then maybe it’s time to plan a visit!
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Nethercote Falls.
The walk to Nethercote Falls
The stats
Distance: 800m each way
Elevation gain: 130m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Trailhead: Nethercote Falls Picnic Area
Summary: The walk to Nethercote Falls has one steep descent on a wide well maintained fire trail and then a creek crossing (an easy step over in times of normal flow) before a narrower dirt track descends to the gorge.
Trail conditions are good throughout and though the initial fire trail is steep, it’s not too slippery. It’s a bit of a puff back up to your car at the end but it only takes around 15-20 minutes.
The trail
From the parking area (full parking and road details below) the walk heads around the locked gate and descends steeply on fire trail for 280m.
It’s not as steep as many fire trails we’ve done in NSW and I didn’t have to run any sections, which is my barometer for whether it’s horribly steep or not.
You’ll feel it on the way back up, but on the way down it’s pretty good. Once at the bottom of the fire trail the walk continues to the left but now on a narrow dirt track.
It zig zags down to the creek at a gentle gradient, reaching the creek crossing after 180m.
There are a couple of small but pretty pools here, though they can’t compare to the main gorge, so I’d save all of your time for that (unless the main pool is really busy in which case I would come back here for a more leisurely dip).
You need to cross over the rock platform between the two pools (which the path will automatically bring you out to). Getting onto the platform requires a step up and then you’ll be nicely elevated above the creek.
You need to step over the creek towards the far side of the rock platform, but unless the creek is in flood this is an easy dry creek crossing.
The path after the crossing is not obvious. Your instinct is to follow the trail that immediately heads right and continues upstream.
Instead, you need to bear slightly left and then you’ll see the wider path that goes uphill and into the forest. It switches back and climbs uphill for around 75m.
There’s a decent bush path throughout the whole walk, so if it looks overgrown, you’ve taken a wrong turn.
The correct trail is a good dirt track with just one skinny tree to step over which may well be removed in time. After a brief climb the path flattens and then heads downhill 160m later.
You will reach the gorge 750m after leaving the car park.
And oh what a view, the gorge walls are gigantic and hugely impressive before you even round the corner and get to see the show stopping vista that is Nethercote Falls.
Swimming at Nethercote Falls
The pool is large, deep and totally spectacular, it’s quite simply a dream swimming spot. The waterfall flows into the glistening pool through a hole in the cave wall.
When the sun shines the water is a gorgeous deep green in colour and the gorge walls provide a sense of grandeur. The water wasn’t even cold, as I had expected it to be, though we did visit in February.
Accessing the water is easy as you can step down from the riverbank into shallow water, but do watch for the thick layer of moss on the rocks which can be slippery.
Once you’re in the main part of the pool it is large and unobstructed making it the perfect place for a relaxing swim.
I honestly don’t have a negative word to say about it, apart from perhaps if I’m being really picky, there were a couple of bits of moss floating around, but very minor and nothing that put even the tiniest dent in the smile on my face.
As long as there is not too much of a flow in the falls there should be little to no current of note, I didn’t experience any current at all, though you should always be wary of swimming too close to the main flow of the falls.
Many people do come here to cliff jump, but please depth check the water first and note that the majority of accidents that occur at Nethercote Falls are due to jumping (or swimming when the waterfall is running too powerfully and the current becomes dangerous).
There are several smaller pools downstream of Nethercote Falls, but we didn’t spend much time there as the main pool was too good to leave!
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Getting to Nethercote Falls
Nethercote Falls is located in the Nullica State Forest, the walk begins at the picnic area, which you can see here on Google maps. The last 1.1km of the road to the picnic area is unsealed and rocky. It can be done with care in any car but a bit of clearance is ideal (though we did see a tiny car in the car park!).
There is a picnic area and a toilet at the car park.
It’s around a 15 minute drive from Pambula and 20 minutes from Eden.
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