Erith Falls and Fairy Bower Falls are two picturesque waterfalls located within the Bundanoon precinct of Morton National Park in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Both trails offer distinct experiences that combine lush rainforest environments, steep valley descents, and rugged sandstone escarpments.
Erith Falls, Grand Canyon & Fairy Bower Falls
📍 MORTON NATIONAL PARK
Distance12.4 km
Duration3:38 hrs
Elev Gain+441 m
Elev Lost-435 m
Date
22 February 2026
Starting Point
Gambells Rest Campground
Difficulty
Moderate
Pace / Gear
4.3 km/h — Light day pack
Highlights
Erith Falls, Echo Point, Bonnie View, Grand Canyon Lookout, Tooth Lookout, Fairy Bower Falls
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
Having not stepped foot on these specific trails for a while, I was incredibly keen to head back into the region to explore some fresh, unexplored areas. A rather ungainly circuit can be devised from the Gambells Rest campground, taking in waterfalls, areas of bush and numerous cliff-top lookouts with views across the southern highlands and Morton National Park.
Arriving in the mid-morning, it was a relief to see the car park practically empty. In a popular park like Morton, finding an empty trailhead is always a rare win, promising a quiet day in the thick of the bush.
The Erith Coal Mine Track, which descends into the valley of Coal Creek, begins from the carpark. Both the valley and the creek are named after the old coal workings sitting at the end of the path, directly below the tumbling waters of Erith Falls. To get down there, you cross the creek at the top of the falls using a few stone steps, which lead straight to a steep metal stairwell built right alongside the drop. Descending the steel steps brings you face-to-face with the dark entrance of the long-retired mine.
The hike begins directly from the car park
Erith Coal Mine Track
One of Australia's iconic grass trees
Beginning the descent to the old coal mine
The mine was worked back in the late 1880s, first being called Rock-roof Mine before gaining the name Erith Colliery in 1881. The seam here is relatively small—only about a metre thick—and its low grade meant it only produced a limited amount of coal for the railways. Today, the shaft entrances are securely fenced off for safety reasons, but they actually tunnel back some 1.4 kilometres into the hillside. A rough path descends further, away from the mine to Coal Creek and then back to the base of the beautiful Erith Falls — it's a very picturesque spot.
Erith Coal Mine
Erith Coal Mine
Erith Coal Mine
Erith Coal Mine
Erith Falls - somewhat dry today
Coal Creek
After loitering around the falls for a while, I climbed back up the metal stairway to the top. Rejoining the main walking track, the trail climbs steadily up a wide fire trail until it intersects with the Echo Point Access Road once again. From there, it is a straightforward 1.5km walk further along the road to reach the Echo Point lookout.
Echo Point Access Road
The Echo Point lookout—not to be confused with its famous Blue Mountains namesake—overlooks a spectacular, sprawling swath of the Southern Highlands. Sitting around 900 metres above sea level, the surrounding plateau is carved up by massive, deep canyons and impressive waterfalls like Fitzroy, Carrington, and Belmore Falls. The landscape feels remarkably similar to the Blue Mountains, though noticeably wilder and far less crowded. From the edge of the lookout, you get a sweeping bird's-eye view overseeing the dramatic valleys of both Coal Creek and Bundanoon Creek.
Echo Point Lookout
Coal Creek and Bundanoon Creek
Layers of hills
Now, next door to Echo Point Lookout is Mount Carnarvon Lookout, accessed by a rough track that works its way a short distance below some rocky outcrops. The 'lookout' (if you can call it that) appears to be little more than a fence where a view once existed but has not been blocked by the trees. Not recommended.
The Mount Carnarvon Walking Track
Mount Carnarvon Lookout - not much to see
I pressed on to the Lover's Walk Track, which sweeps in a wide arc around the lush head of a rainforest gully. The trail winds through the damp undergrowth before popping out at the Bonnie View lookout, offering another incredible vantage point over the deep Coal Creek valley.
Lovers Walk
Lovers Walk
Lovers Walk
The far side of the Grand Canyon from Bonnie View Lookout
The walls of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon of Bundanoon Creek
Just around the corner from Bonnie View is another lookout offering a clear view straight across to the opposite wall of the canyon – Beauchamps Cliffs.
Beauchamps Cliffs
Bundanoon Creek
Bundanoon Creek
Bonnie View and Beauchamps Cliffs
From here, I followed the unsealed access road back toward the campsite, passing the Wishing Well. It’s little more than a dark, water-filled hole eroded into the flat rock, but the protective safety fence suggests it plunges down quite a long way. When Samuel Tooth first cleared a tourist path past the feature, cynical 19th-century locals mockingly dubbed it "Tooth's Folly", unable to see the point of showcasing what seemed to be a completely random hole in the stone.
Bonnie View Access Road
The Wishing Well - now fenced off
Bundanoon Loop Road
After following the access road north, I turned off onto the Bundanoon Loop road, tracking back toward the canyon rim for another pair of lookouts – Grand Canyon Lookout and Gambells Lookout, both have similar view of the Bundanoon Creek valley.
View from Grand Canyon Lookout
Gambells Lookout
Gambells Lookout, a little beneath the cliffs
The descent to the waterfall begins just off the Bundanoon Loop Road, kicking off with Tooth’s Walking Track—named after our man Samuel Tooth—and it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It starts at Tooths Lookout, which serves up sweeping, spectacular panoramic views across the vast valley and sandstone plateaus. From the lookout edge, the trail quickly transforms into the Cliff Track, plunging steeply down the escarpment via rough stone steps and a series of tight switchbacks.
The beginning of Tooths Walking Track
Tooths Walking Track
The track is very steep, but easy enough to follow
As you descend, the ecosystem rapidly shifts from open eucalypt forest into a lush, dense, and cool rainforest canyon. You definitely need to keep an eye on your footing through here, as the track is often overgrown and the damp rocks can be incredibly slippery. If you catch it during spring, the trail is beautifully lined with blooming native wildflowers.
Tooths Walking Track
Roughly halfway down the escarpment, the trail intersects with another track running along valley sides – this will allow you to link up to the base of Fairy Bower Falls. This section of track can be indistinct in places, so you'd be wise to have a GPS handy to keep on the right route.
The track to the waterfall is unclear in places
The track emerges at the base of Fairy Bower Falls, a beautiful cascade that tumbles dramatically onto a rocky stone ledge. The spray from the 20-metre drop creates a constant, cool mist that keeps the canyon vibrant, lush, and noticeably colder than the dry eucalypt plateau above.
Fairy Bower Falls
Fairy Bower Falls
Fairy Bower Falls
Fairy Bower Falls
Once you’ve finished taking in the view of the falls, the route continues up a set of metal stairs to the right of the falls. The cliffs towering overhead are covered in moss, ferns, and hanging curtains of tree roots. It’s a damp, dripping environment that looks like the perfect spot to find glow worms. If you look up toward the top of the falls, you can still spot the original steps carved right into the sandstone cliff face.
The old steps above the falls
The lower, open section of Nicholas Pass
Steep - check ✔
As you climb, you'll come across the upgraded track that hugs the cliffs. From here, the trail climbs the escarpment, passing two lookouts where you can catch your breath. At the large rock platform, you can head to the top of the waterfall. Slippery stone steps drop down to a cliff-edge lookout where the stream weaves through boulders before plunging over the brink. This spot overlooks the historic stone steps and The Brides Lookout, where early honeymooners remarkably braved the steep trek in heavy dresses and petticoats.
Bundanoon Creek
New elevated boardwalks on the Fairy Bower Falls Walk
Sandstone
The creek above the falls
Unnamed creek
The Brides / Fairy Bower Falls Lookout
The creek above Fairy Bower Falls
After taking in the view, I turn away from the drop and follow the track upstream along the creek. The trail quickly leaves the gorge behind, guiding me through quiet woodland back to the Fairy Bower Falls carpark. From there, I skip the turnoff for Tooths Lookout and instead follow the main unsealed road north for a straightforward trek straight back to Gambells Rest.
Fairy Bower Falls Walk
Heading back to the car park
Back at the car, I dropped my pack feeling completely spent but thoroughly satisfied. This makeshift circuit packed an incredible punch, blending the history of the Erith Coal Mine and the Wishing Well with those massive, wild views at Echo Point. The real highlight, though, was the gruelling descent down Tooth's Track into that cold, misty rainforest basin at Fairy Bower Falls. It was a punishing leg-burner of a day, but a perfect reminder of just how rugged and rewarding this pocket of Morton National Park can be.
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