Balaka Falls is a small tiered–cascade waterfall situated in the

Greater Western Sydney Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a large region of the metropolitan area of Greater Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia that generally embraces the north-west, south-west, central-west, and far western sub-regions within Sydney's metropol ...

region of Sydney,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It is located on the Hunts Creek in Yarralumla Wildlife Sanctuary in the

City of Parramatta The City of Parramatta, also known as Parramatta Council, is a local government area located west of central Sydney in the Greater Western Sydney region. Parramatta Council is situated between the City of Ryde and Cumberland, where the Cum ...

and is surrounded by suburbia, making it accessible for nearby residential areas.

Geography

Surrounded by a

sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...

forest and featuring

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

rocks, the waterfall features two drops and is located on

Hunts Creek Hunts Creek, an urban watercourse that is part of the Parramatta River catchment, is located in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Course Hunts Creek rises in the northern suburbs of Sydney, near the south-west corner of ...

. It is roughly a 30-minute drive from

Sydney CBD The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or city centre is often refer ...

and is situated between

North Rocks North Rocks is a suburb in the Hills District within Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located 26 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district. Following the amalgamation of council areas i ...

and Carlingford in the northwestern suburbs. It is best visited after heavy rain events, when spectacular falls can be observed (although it is a permanent waterfall).

Access

The

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

can be accessed from the suburban streets of Ferndale Avenue and Norfolk Place in Carlingford through a 50-metre and 250 metre long walking track (which are also

fire trail A fire trail is a rural road built specifically for the purpose of access for "fire management purposes" including building containment lines and backburning operations. The term is part of the vocabulary of Australian bushfire control and may als ...

s), respectively. A sandstone staircase, which is not pram or wheelchair friendly, leads to the bottom of the falls. There is a

locator map In cartography, a locator map, or just a ''locator'', is typically a simple map used to show the location of a particular geographic region within its larger and presumably more familiar context. Depending on the needs of the cartographer, this ...

in the vicinity to address and direct visitors to the falls and the surrounding bushland. The

M2 motorway This is a list of roads designated M2: Europe * M2 motorway (Great Britain), a motorway in England * M2 expressway (Hungary), a motorway in Hungary * N2 road (Ireland)#M2 motorway, a motorway in the Republic of Ireland * M-2 highway (Monteneg ...

and

Cumberland Highway The Cumberland Highway is a long urban highway located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The highway links the Pacific Highway (A1/B83) and Pacific Motorway ( M1) at Pearces Corner, Wahroonga in the northeast with the Hume Highway (A2 ...

are major roads proximate to the falls.

References

Cascade waterfalls Nature reserves in Sydney Tourist attractions in Sydney Waterfalls of New South Wales {{NewSouthWales-geo-stub

Geography

Access

See also

References