Toorongo Falls, Victoria, Australia

(Click image to enlarge)

I first attempted to photograph Toorongo Falls in May of 2023 in a light rain. The rain alone wouldn't have been a big problem, but the wind was. From this vantage point it brought the rain plus a heavy spray from the waterfall directly into the front of my lens. It also made the vegetation thrash around. There was no way to get the photograph I wanted in the existing conditions.

Rather than leave empty handed I used a longer lens with a deep hood at a different vantage point to capture this detail of the waterfall. Since then I have occasionally thought about returning for another attempt at the photograph I initially wanted.

Christmas Eve morning in 2025 was one of those occasions. I looked outside and thought that the weather might good for a photograph of Toorongo Falls. With a 1.5 hour drive and a hike to get there it was already late to be starting out, but there was nothing to lose except the time.

The Little Toorongo River drops 30 meters (98 feet) over Toorongo Falls. There are many smaller drops upstream and downstream from this point, but the rugged terrain and dense vegetation makes most of the river inaccessible.