Mt Halifax - maybe 3rd time lucky?
Mid October 2022
The first time I went to Mt Halifax to check out some of the falls there I took my wife and my granddaughter. The hike was simply too much for them. The second time I went alone in the dry season to scout in advance of the wet. I got lots of Skinks and ants but no great shots.
I often take these Government signs with a grain of salt but in the case of Mt Halifax, take it as true. This is a tough hike and I can imagine it gets much worse in the wet.
Every 20 or so paces there is a reflective marker laid out. But in places there is absolutely no track visible. Above would be one of the better sections.
The track is not always straight so you may take your next 20 paces in the wrong direction and have to spin around to locate where the next marker is.
Rope Falls
On this visit in the dry the water flow was very low. Rope Falls was the prettiest of the three I stopped for. This will be a glorious spot with a touch more water.
Rope Falls get their name from the need to use rope to climb around one side to continue up the mountain.
The first Falls. Halifax Falls? Not sure.
On my initial visit the first falls were as far as I got with my wife and granddaughter. The water was flowing beautifully then. On this day it was good for a swim but definitely not a photo.
Australian Brush Turkey
As you make your way up the mountain you will hear a lot of rustling in the bush. That will mostly be skinks and Brush Turkeys from my experience.
I knew this day would be a scouting hike ahead of the wet season but I also knew that where there is rainforest there is fungi pretty much all year around. So I took photos of that and this is one of my favourites.
Loop Falls
Loop Falls once again was a failure for photos but it was the spot I decided to have a swim before continuing on up to Flat Rock and beyond.
Lantana - serious pest.
As pretty as that flower may look, sadly like so many other parts of our country you will see Lantana on Mt Halifax. Lantana is a native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but was introduced to the Australian-Pacific region.
It is a dominant plant that takes over landscapes interfering with native animals. Sadly it also looks like eradicating the pest is not possible.
Final word of warning
I consider myself an experience bushwalker and most of the places I go that have no tracks nor markers I know well. That said I would definitely not want to walk this track in the dark despite the markers being present. If I got stuck on Mt Halifax in the dark I would rough the night out and wait for daylight to exit. Be prepared.