Reynolds Falls - A long day trip!

[crazyone]

Reynolds Falls is a hard day trip but any visit to that magical piece of the planet should be paid for in hard currency. Last sunday (29.12.13) an early start ensured that myself and my two intrepid friends departed pencil pine at around 730am for the long trip to the falls. The weather was borderline and as we progressed to and across the speeler plains it got worse. However, our first mistake of the day was cross the 4wd track and continue on towards Penguin. Apparently this is a rookie error but a bit poor considering 2 of us had done this before and not made this error the first time. D'oh. Cheers to the 2 gentlemen returning from 4ways who got us going in the right direction. So off along the 4wd track, thru the aptly named pandani grove. Then up the slope for nav mistake number 2 for the day. We missed the track and got to the top of the slope with no entrance to the rainforest. After some walking and waypoint backtracking ( at this time in the snow and stinging hail ) we found the track and prepared for the rainforest plunge. This is where this walk (for me anyway) becomes absolutely unbelievable. The descent is a slippery slide down at least 350m in a 1000m thru majestic rainforest. I dont know if they are regnans or globulus or delegatensis but they are big and there are heaps of them. Its truly awesome and i found myself at times for the next 4 or 5 hours just staring up at times looking at these trees. And fungus. My god its brilliant some of these things. The colours are amazing. And so it goes like this for hours, tough going but thru absolute heaven. A waterfall here, a creek to cross, ridges to scramble up to the top of. We were actually starting to get a bit short on time and so when the last steep slide and scramble down to the Vale river happened and the falls were finally laid out for us it was that little piece of bliss that you battle for in life. The weather had improved considerably and sunshine lunch at Reynolds Falls is a sublime experience. A bit more water was coming down than the last visit, i got to just about stand under the falls last time but not this time. Words cant describe it (not mine anyway) and so i implore those who are capable and interested to go have a look. That only left the return journey, the steep scramble back up from the falls, the up and down and up and down and pandani kisses etc. A marvelous experience. well done to our first timer, she is one impressive walker. My mates gps claimed 33ks. it sure felt like it but the satisfaction gained more than outweighed any discomfort. i quoted him JFK, never a truer word out of my mouth. A full day well spent!

[crazyone]

and please let me apologize for rambling, it was just that good!

[Chris]

and please let me apologize for rambling, it was just that good!

No apology needed - thoroughly enjoyed your report Any photos?

[wildlight]

Hey Crazyone

It's an awesome trip, Mrs and I did it a few years ago. It took us two and a half days in, and two and a half days out, with perfect navigation, so you did very well. We camped where the creek crosses the four wheel drive track near Penguin turn off, then on a rock in the middle of another creek, with a massive fallen tree overhead just meters from the rock.

People speak about a really beautiful campsite "30 minutes from the falls". For me, it took nearly 2 hours each way from this campsite, man I was slow. (Still am!)

But it is a magnificent place, the rainforest plunge was easy to follow, it was like walking through a mystical wonderland. We took some short cut across plains coming back, and wound up closer to our accommodation by a few hundred meters, despite a horse rider trying to talk us out of it "because of tiger snakes".

The only one we saw, was as the plains closed in just before the rainforest plunge.

But yeah- one of those exceptional kinda places. One which warrants revisiting.

Cheers

WildLight