Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
trip. Dropping a total of 580m in three spectacular leaps, this is one of the loftiest waterfalls
in the world.
The track leaves Quintin Hut and descends Gentle Annie Hill, re-entering thick forest,
which is often slippery and wet underfoot. Within 3km (one hour) of Quintin Hut, the track
arrives at
Dumpling Hut
(40 bunks), a welcome sight after a long day over the pass.
Day 4: Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
5½-6 HOURS, 18KM
The track descends back into bush and soon the roar of
Arthur River
is heard as the trail
closely follows the true right (east) bank. About two hours (6km) from the hut, the track
reaches the private Boatshed Shelter (a morning-tea stop for guided trampers) and crosses
Arthur River on a large swing bridge.
Just beyond the bridge the track crosses another bridge over
Mackay Creek
, and comes to
a very short side track to
Mackay Falls
and
Bell Rock
. This is your cue to lift the weight off
your back for a bit while you take a gander at these amazing natural wonders. It's well
worth the scrabble into the tiny cave under Bell Rock, where the water has eroded a space
underneath large enough to stand in. Mackay Falls may not be a patch on Sutherland Falls,
but they're still a nice feature for Mackay to have his name on!
The track begins to climb a rock shoulder of the valley, laboriously cut with pickaxes a
century ago, above
Lake Ada
. At one point there is a view of the lake all the way to Joes
Valley. From here the track descends to
Giant Gate Falls
, passing them on a swing bridge
before continuing along the lakeshore. The shelter just before Giant Gate Falls is a popular
lunch stop.
It takes about one hour to follow the lake past Doughboy Shelter (a private hut for guided
trampers) through wide, open flats at the end of the valley to the Sandfly Point Shelter, the
end of the tramp.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Hollyford Track
Duration
5 days
Distance
56.8km (35 miles)
Track Standard
Tramping and easy tramping tracks
