"The Falls" Summer Hill Creek, near Ophir
"The Falls" is one of a number of pretty falls associated with the Macquarie River Basin.
It is uncertain how much of this terrain is natural and how much derives from mining activities - the area abounds with old shafts and water diversions. The fall can be approached from a hike along the Central Mines Trail (and you can choose a short walk from the Car Park, or a much longer hike along an indistinct path from the Fourth Crossing).
These falls, known locally as "The Falls" (and which are quite different to the nearby Cascades at the Fourth Crossing) are usually asleep, but they have awoken with the rain falling below Suma Park Reservoir across the farmlands. Orange itself is still water-poor, but recovers some of the water you see from a pumping station on the Macquarie near Long Point.
Location Maps
There are a number of waterfalls near the city of Orange, which is located between the Lachlan and Macquarie catchments. This is one of the closest, but least visited of the falls.
This post has become a series on lost falls - the Index Page to the Series is here
Comments
We don't even understand what we're looking at half the time. There's some shocking erosion around the South West Slopes, blamed on farmers. Some of it is their responsibility, but lots of it is the results of the enthusiastic efforts of alluvial miners in the 19th century. Like packs of locusts.
Very different to the scene i saw at the height of the drought. What a difference the water makes.
A nearby waterfall, set in a beautiful granite rockland setting has disappeared without a trace, destroyed by gold and heavy metal miners. In its place, a massive putrid lake of toxic waste now threatens to breach the dam trying to contain it. Locusts would be preferable.