Top 10 Waterfalls in Australia
Australia's waterfall landscape is shaped by extremes: the wet-dry tropics of the north, where gorge falls are inaccessible by road for half the year, and the wetter southern and eastern ranges, where year-round rainfall feeds temperate rainforest falls. These ten cover the continent's range. All are on the map.
1. Wallaman Falls, Queensland
At 268 metres, Wallaman is Australia's tallest single-drop waterfall, on Stony Creek in the Girringun National Park in north Queensland. The creek is a Wet Tropics tributary and drops off the Atherton Tablelands escarpment into the Herbert River gorge. Best flow runs from January to April during the north Queensland wet season. A sealed road leads to the rim lookout; a 2-kilometre trail descends to the base. Type: plunge.
2. Jim Jim Falls, Northern Territory
Jim Jim Falls drops approximately 150 metres over a sandstone escarpment into a deep gorge pool in Kakadu National Park. The pool is ringed by massive boulders and framed by monsoon woodland. The access road (a 4WD-only track from the Kakadu Highway) is open only in the dry season from approximately May to October; in the wet, the entire area is inaccessible by vehicle. Helicopter access operates during the wet season for those willing to pay. Type: plunge. Walk from the car park to the pool: 1 km over boulders.
3. Twin Falls, Northern Territory
Six kilometres from Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu, Twin Falls descends two parallel streams over a sandstone escarpment into a gorge accessible only by 4WD and then a short boat crossing (a Parks Australia-operated shuttle). Like Jim Jim, it is closed in the wet season. The approach through the gorge by boat is one of the most dramatic in Australia. Type: plunge. Dry-season access only, May to October.
4. Mitchell Falls, Western Australia
Mitchell Falls (Punamii-unpuu) is a four-tiered cascade on the Mitchell River in the remote Kimberley, descending roughly 80 metres in total over horizontal sandstone steps. Access requires either a chartered flight from Kununurra or a multi-day 4WD drive on the Gibb River Road. A 8.6-kilometre return walk leads from the helicopter landing pad to the main falls and a sacred swimming pool above the lower tier. Best flow: March to May. Type: tiered cataract.
5. Russell Falls, Tasmania
Russell Falls in Mount Field National Park is Tasmania's most visited waterfall, a tiered horsetail on the Russell River dropping approximately 45 metres through cool temperate rainforest of myrtle beech and tree ferns. Year-round flow from a high-rainfall catchment. A sealed 15-minute walk from the car park. A second viewpoint 20 minutes above reaches the Horseshoe Falls. Type: tiered horsetail. All-year access.
6. Wentworth Falls, New South Wales
Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains drops 187 metres in two stages over a Hawkesbury sandstone escarpment into the Jamison Valley. The upper falls are accessible from the car park at Wentworth Falls township; the full descent to the Valley of the Waters requires a fit 5.4-kilometre return walk on maintained track. The views from the cliff edge across the valley are among the best in the Blue Mountains. Type: plunge with secondary cascade. Best flow: May to September.
7. Bridal Veil Falls, Leura, New South Wales
Leura Cascades and Bridal Veil Falls sit side by side on the Leura escarpment in the Blue Mountains, combining a tiered cascade through rainforest with a more open plunge over the cliff line. The Leura Cascades Picnic Area is the access point, with a network of short paths reaching multiple viewpoints within 30 minutes. Best viewed after rain on the eastern catchment. Type: cascade and plunge.
8. Erskine Falls, Victoria
Erskine Falls near Lorne in the Otway Ranges is one of Victoria's most accessible tall falls, a 30-metre plunge on Erskine Creek through tall eucalyptus and rainforest. A short 1.5-kilometre return walk on an all-ability path leads to the base. Year-round flow from Otway highland rainfall. The gorge below the falls is accessible via a longer circuit track. Type: plunge. All-year access.
9. Mossman Gorge, Queensland
Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park is less a single falls than a series of cascades and rapids on the Mossman River through a boulder-filled granite gorge in tropical rainforest. Entry to the gorge is managed by the Kuku Yalanji people through the Mossman Gorge Centre, which provides shuttle buses and guided cultural walks. Swimming is permitted in designated areas. Year-round flow; at its most spectacular during or after the December to April wet season. Type: cascades and rapids.
10. Florence Falls, Northern Territory
Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park is a twin plunge of approximately 35 metres into a clear swimming hole in the monsoon woodland of the Top End. It is one of the few Litchfield falls accessible by a short sealed walk (180 steps down to the pool) and is open year-round, unlike the Kakadu gorge falls. Best flow in the dry season (May to September) when water quality is highest. Type: twin plunge.
Planning an Australian waterfall trip
The north-south divide is the primary planning consideration. Northern Territory and Kimberley falls require dry-season timing (May to October) and 4WD transport; Queensland's Wet Tropics falls peak in the wet but many close or become dangerous; Victoria and Tasmania provide accessible falls year-round. Long distances between regions mean choosing one cluster and going deep rather than attempting a national tour.
Safety and access notes
Australia's remote waterfall environments require preparation that urban tourism does not. The Northern Territory in the wet season is genuinely impassable in many places — river crossings flood without warning and 4WD tracks become quagmires for days after heavy rain. The Bureau of Meteorology's northern Australia flood watch system is the primary resource for planning around wet-season conditions.
Queensland's Wet Tropics falls, including Wallaman, require awareness of saltwater crocodile presence in or near pools below the escarpment. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service posts current crocodile warning notices at specific sites; treat these as mandatory reading rather than advisory. The gorge pools of Kakadu (Jim Jim, Twin Falls) are managed with crocodile exclusion zones at the designated swimming areas.
In Victoria and Tasmania, the primary risks are trail degradation after rain (particularly on clay-heavy Blue Mountains tracks) and afternoon thunderstorms in summer (October to March), which produce dangerous lightning exposure on escarpment edges and ridgelines. Tasmania's Mount Field receives high rainfall and low temperatures year-round; waterproof gear is appropriate regardless of the season. Australia's falls are on the map with regional filters to help you plan by state.
What to carry on an Australian waterfall day walk
The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Western Australia and Parks Australia in the Northern Territory both provide pre-trip checklists for gorge walks. The core items beyond standard hiking gear: a minimum of three litres of water per person (more in tropical Top End heat, where temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius are common in the dry season), sun protection (hat, 50+ SPF, long sleeves), a satellite communicator or personal locator beacon (PLB) for remote walks, and a waterproof bag for anything that cannot be damaged by spray. Mobile phone coverage is absent at most of the remote falls on this list; do not rely on it for navigation or emergency communication. The Kakadu falls in particular require pre-registration with the park if you plan to go beyond the designated car parks and paths.