Minnamurra Rainforest and Carrington Falls

Yesterday morning we got up early for a day of bush walking. First, we went to Minnamurra Falls. I was so impressed with that walk from my previous trip there, I told Michelle she just had to see it, too. The parks in Australia are numerous and vast, and bush walking is a healthy, low-cost, active, and relaxing way to spend time here. We bought a couple of decent backpacks for hiking earlier this week so we'd be properly equipped (the back support is extremely important for long walks). At the Minnamurra Falls visitor center I bought a 2-year multi-parks pass. That allows us unlimited access to all the state-managed entry-fee parks in NSW (except one) for 2 years.

The Minnamurra rainforest was just as beautiful as before. By getting there early, we beat the crowds. Since the walk is fairly easy, the park attracts lots of visitors: families with small kids, Aussies with guests from overseas, etc. We finished the walk in about 2.5 hours, so we went to another nearby park to finish out the day. There are two large parks in the immediate area, Budderoo National Park and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. I checked online the night before to see how long the trails were, and Budderoo had the best options for us. The staff at Minnamurra told us about Carrington Falls in Budderoo, so that was our next stop.

Getting to Carrington involved a very winding drive through the hills, and the entrance sign to the Falls could have been easily passed by if I hadn't been paying attention. The bush in this area was strikingly different than at Minnamurra Falls, despite only being about 18 km away. The waterfall was very impressive. The view overlooked both the falls and a huge valley. We soaked in the scenery for awhile, then decided to explore the nearby trails. The forest there, while still interesting, was not as pretty as the Minnamurra rainforest.

Capping off the day, we had dinner at my supervisor's house in Kiama. It was nice to visit him outside the office, in the more laid back family atmosphere.