Marriner's Falls, Apollo Bay, VIC

Waterfall Seasons - The Waterfall Guide

The falls are around 15 m high and 2 m across with a continuous but not torrential stream of water that exits through a small cut gorge at one end. There are near vertical rock walls on all sides that create a beautiful little grotto. The walls are covered in lush green ferns and moss, with lots of fallen logs and rocks scattered around that you can sit on. Above: Marriners Falls, as accessed prior to the track closure (Order this image)

Direct sunlight into the alcove only occurs in the middle of the day, when it can get quite hot due to the absence of any trees within the grotto walls. Sunlight filters through the surrounding forest during daylight hours at other times.

The last 5 km of the route to Marriners Falls is a gravel road. From the car park it is a 1.7 km walk along the river. The walk is initially through a grassy track kept mown by a herd of cows, but as you get nearer to the falls, the track becomes quite muddy, even in summer. There are 8 creek crossings that you can rock hop if you can keep your balance, otherwise expect to get your feet wet up to your ankles. You may also notice the native fish darting in the water as you cross the stream.

The walk to the falls was closed by the managing authority in 2011 due to falling trees. One tourist was injured from a tree fall in 2008 and the managing authority has publicly stated that tree falls often occur along the track. The closure occurred after I last visited. I definitely do not want people to be injured while visiting waterfalls, but personally I do not see the risk being any different to walking through the bush, which is what you might have to do to reach this waterfall in the future. A local woman walked the track in 2014 in spite of the closure, and managed to make the trek. Parks Victoria have now excised any references to Marriner's Falls in their online publications, so don't expect to find its location on their park maps anymore.

Best Time of Year to Visit:	Best Time of Day to Visit:
Summer/autumn when the water level is low and the creek crossings on the way to the falls are possible.	Visit around midday to see sunlight penetrate into the grotto

Before you head out, make sure to read the waterfall safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. The marker indicates the approximate location of the falls. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can occur with some browsers, simply refresh this web page.
View Larger Map I was fortunate enough to receive a comment from a relative of the woman mentioned above in the Colac Herald article:

Comment:"I am hoping that sanity prevails and Parks Victoria open this track again so I can visit (legally). Sue McKenzie (the "local woman") was my sister. Sue was passionate about many, (many!) things, but close to her heart were trees, nature, learning, people... and waterfalls - Wish she was here to advocate for a spot I know was in her heart." - L. MacDonald, Victoria, Australia 23/4/2019

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