Kondalilla Falls

It is so wonderful when the mountains and the sea are so close that you can explore both easily from home.

Just half an hour drive from the coast, near Montville, you can explore Kondalilla Falls - and it is well worth the effort to get there.

This spot is clearly not as 'hidden' as I thought it was as the carpark was pretty full when we arrived but it wasn't too much of an issue.

The picturesque walking trail takes you first down to the top of the falls where there is a rock pool made for swimming - we saved our refreshing dip until after we had been to the bottom of the waterfall and back up in the 30-degree heat.

If you decide to do the full falls loop - and it is definitely worth it - it will take you about one to two hours to go the 5km, including stops to take in the scenery. You might want to take some time to catch your breath from all the stairs too.

Along the way you will see spectacular views of the 90m falls, lush rainforest surroundings and, if you are lucky, some local wildlife.

We made some time to stop for a dip in the rock pool on our way back to the car but we warned, the water is very fresh (read: chilly!)

Given there had been a week of heavy rain before our trip out to Kondalilla, there was plenty of water in the pool but it was a bit stirred up and brown but don't let that stop you!

The extra rain meant that the falls were in full flow for us - a truly spectacular sight.

If you want to make a day of your trip to the hinterland, there are picnic facilities located just 50m from the carpark which include a large grassy area with picnic tables, BBQ’s, toilets and shelter.