This incredible waterfall pool is only an hour or so drive from Sydney, located in Brisbane Waters National Park, in Woy Woy on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
All up this hike to the Woy Woy waterfall pool is around 20-30 minutes, and just over 2.5km one way. Allow around 1 hour total for walking, and plan to stay any amount of time between 10 mins to a few hours when you get there.
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The only entrance to the walk to get to this particular waterfall is off Woy Woy Road. Search for Woy Woy Walk on Google maps, or find the 'Tunnel Firetrail' and follow it until you see where it intersects with the road.
Be mindful of cars behind you on this road, as the parking area can sneak up on you and it is an 80 km/hour speed zone. Slow down and give plenty of warning to other drivers.
Once you're in, there is space for around 8-10 cars if parked correctly.
After about 500 metres when you start the trail from the parking area, there will be a gate to climb over (it's there to stop cars going down), and a creek (and mini waterfalls) to walk through.
Be careful crossing this shallow creek as it is rocky and can be slippery with the water running over it, especially after recent rain.
You'll also see some buildings and a creek on the right-hand side as you walk towards the next leg of the journey.
After about an 8-10 minute walk, you'll get to an intersection on the fire trail. There will be a small wooden sign on the right-hand side, which says 'Tunnel Track, Dillons Farm, Rocky Ponds, and Mullet Creek'. Ignore all of these directions!
From this intersection, you'll turn to go left to head towards where the Woy Woy waterfall is. Continue down this trail, which follows the power lines, for another 8-10 minute walk.
At the end of that trail, you'll reach a dead end. There will be a tall power pole there to indicate you're in the right spot. Turn to the right of the pole and there will be a small opening in the bush leading down to the top of the falls.
Be careful of spiders and snakes, but it is quite easy to walk through the bush at this stage.
Pass over the top of the falls, being careful of the wet rocks, to the other side where there is another small opening in the bushes across from the entrance.
From this point, the hike down to the Woy Woy waterfall is a bit more adventurous. Walk along the small track from the top of the falls until you reach a section that has a couple of larger boulders on your left. Slide down these on your butt, or step if you have enormously long legs, and head to the right.
After another minute of walking, you'll reach the real scramble part. There will be a tall stack of boulders, and it's at this point that you need to make a u-turn and go down the steep hill. This area is super muddy and rough, especially if it's been wet weather. Avoid the wet parts of the rocks as much as possible as they are super slippery. There are some footholds, so just take your time and be brave.
I also stepped in a huge mud puddle at the bottom of this section, so keep an eye on your feet and try to aim for the areas that have grass or rocks.
After that crazy section, you're on the home stretch to the Woy Woy waterfall! It's another 1-2 minute walk from there and the worst of it is over so catch your breath and enjoy the views.
Note: the track here is quite narrow and it is on a cliff, so please be mindful and step aside to the left if there are other hikers coming back up the other way.
Mostly it is even, flat ground but the 200m or so towards the end needs a bit more of an adventurous spirit (and body).
Leave your stuff up on the rocks so they don't get wet or muddy, then strip to your swimsuit and take the mini trek down to the ledge. The rocks are slippery, but it's wide enough that you don't feel too on the edge.
The trough is a bit of a leap to get into, but there are nooks to get your toes into so it's not too difficult. Once your in, the bottom is filled with soft sand (worn down rock from the falls), and there is a great view out to the valley below. The pool is deep enough that you can swim under the surface without any issues as well.
The waterfall itself can be quite powerful after a rain, but not too powerful that you can't stick your head under for a refreshing, but aggressive, massage.
There is also the option to trek to the bottom section, where the water from the trough falls down. I even saw some yabbies in the stream down there, and there is a bit more privacy in case other hikers arrive as well.
While you are there, you'll also hear the sounds of the trains passing under you! The train horns go off as they enter the tunnels and because of the echoes, it'll sound like it's coming from all around. It's a pretty cool little side experience.
If you want to check out other day trip adventures from Sydney, take a look at my travel page.
