Fitzroy Falls

Fitzroy Falls, Australia

Sunrise mist rising through the deep green valley below the 81-metre drop of Fitzroy Falls, viewed from a damp wooden platform.

Come for a single tall waterfall in cool, green Southern Highlands country, an easy stop on a drive out from Sydney.

The place

Fitzroy Falls is a small village in the Wingecarribee Shire, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. It has about 220 residents and sits at around 674 metres above sea level, so the air is noticeably cooler and greener than on the coastal plain. The village takes its name from the waterfall beside it, an 81-metre drop. The locality was known as Yarrunga until the falls gave it a new identity.

Most visitors come for the water. The fall drops into a valley, and the view down into that valley is the reason to make the detour off the main road. The settlement is small. You will not find a large town centre or a long list of shops, so treat it as a stop on a wider drive rather than a place to fill several days.

The surrounding country belongs to the Southern Highlands, a patchwork of farmland, bush and forested gullies. Because the village is inland, far from the sea, the food and the feel of the place differ from the Sydney coast. Traffic is light away from the main road, and on a quiet morning the sound of the water carries across the valley. Bring a warm layer, because the altitude makes evenings cooler than many visitors expect in Australia.

Its story

The land around Fitzroy Falls was home to Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. The wider colony of New South Wales was first settled by Europeans in 1788, and settlement spread outwards from Sydney in the decades that followed.

The name itself comes from the sea. Captain Cook gave the state its name eighteen years earlier, on his first voyage of discovery, after Wales. It is still unclear whether he meant South Wales or a Wales of the south, but the cliffs he passed south of Sydney look much like the coastline of the Welsh Cambrian Coast, which may explain his choice.

The colony once covered the eastern two-thirds of mainland Australia, along with Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand and a few sub-Antarctic islands. Over time those territories were separated, and the state settled into roughly its present shape by the 1860s. Early farmers depended on fresh water and good soil, so the first large settlements grew near Parramatta and Windsor, where the rivers stopped being navigable. The Blue Mountains and the Great Dividing Range slowed inland expansion for years, and European settlers did not get across the mountains until 1813.

The Southern Highlands were opened up as that frontier moved inland. The village that now bears the waterfall's name was once called Yarrunga. The renaming reflects how the falls became the defining feature of the place, the thing a traveller comes to see first.

What to see

Culture

Fitzroy Falls is a rural village, and daily life here follows New South Wales rules on smoking and vaping. Smoking is banned indoors in public buildings, pubs, restaurants, transport and in private cars carrying children. It is also banned outdoors wherever food is served. Many pubs have covered outdoor areas with heaters where smoking is permitted, but these are sometimes smoke-free too. Vaping is generally treated the same way, and a 'no smoking' sign usually covers vapes as well.

The land is part of Aboriginal Country that has been cared for for thousands of years. Respect for Aboriginal heritage matters at places such as the Three Sisters, which is a sacred site. Stay on marked tracks, read interpretive signs, and ask before photographing people or ceremonies.

In short, check the signs before you light up, because many outdoor areas at pubs and cafes are smoke-free too.

What to wear

The traditional dress of the Aboriginal peoples who lived in this region is best learnt from the local Aboriginal land councils and cultural centres, which can explain how clothing, adornment and textiles were made and used. Visitors should be wary of generic images that pass for regional costume. What is worn on Country today is a matter for the communities themselves.

Day to day, people in the Southern Highlands dress for the outdoors. Practical jackets, jeans, boots and layers are normal, particularly for walkers and farm workers. Shorts and sandals are common in summer, but evenings can turn cool at this altitude, around 674 metres above sea level.

For a visit, dress in layers that suit a changeable climate. Pack a waterproof jacket for spray near the falls and wet rock, and wear shoes with good grip for damp, uneven paths. Sun protection matters in Australia at any time of year, so bring a hat and sunglasses. Modesty norms are relaxed in villages like this, but a light cover-up is sensible if you visit a church, memorial or community event.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. March and April bring autumn weather and the best balance of mild days and cool nights, while October and November are spring months with fresh conditions around the falls. Summer can be hot, and altitude keeps evenings cooler than the coast.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Fitzroy Falls is a country stop, so drive or hire a car from Sydney and check the route and fuel before you set out. Combine the village with the Blue Mountains or a day in Sydney.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources