Wednesday 22/02/2023   Little River – Little River Falls – Little River Gorge

                                               Snowy River National Park, VICTORIA

                                               Bidawal, Gunaikurnai, Monaro Ngarigo, and Nindi-Ngudjam Ngarigu Monero Country

                                    

Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies

This is a very short walk from the car park next to the Little River Bridge, for us, a short stopover on the way to McKillops Bridge. The track follows the true right side of Little River downstream until it comes back to the river. Here there is a fenced-off viewpoint of the surprisingly large waterfall and plunge pool at its base.

Little River Falls – Snowy River National Park

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The waterfall cascades over a 31m drop, the first of a series that results in a gorge of 600m 14km downstream. The Little River Gorge is reached a short drive further along the road towards McKillops Bridge. Again a short walk is required from the off-road car park before you reach the viewing platform. From there you have a very impressive gorge in front of you.

Photos

 

LITTLE RIVER FALLS

This main drop of 31m is the start of the great gorge. the Little River has been carved through volcanic rock and sandstone on its 610ms descent over a distance of 14km to its junction with the Snowy River at an elevation of 122m above sea level.

Snowy River National Park is one of Victoria’s very special places. Calls for its protection as a national park date back to the late 1800s when its scenery was described as “wild and rough and grand in the extreme. In no place else in Victoria are there such dizzy precipices, such sheer bluffs or gorges with such vertical sides … the gorge between the Broadbent River and Campbells Knob is perhaps the finest in Australia.’

Today the park is recognised as a vital link in the park network connecting the Australian Alps with the forests of East Gippsland. Its forests range from the tall old-growth stands along the Rodger River to the distinctive native pine woodland of the Snowy River valley.

Undisturbed elements link in with extensive ess throughout the core of the park to provide an outstanding haven for native plants and animals.

The Snowy River has been the focus of human activity for thousands of years. For more than 20,000 years Aboriginal groups inhabited the area, camping along the river as they made their way to the Snowy Mountains in summer.

Europeans arrived in the 1830s, and by the end of the century, a number of small settlements had been established along the Snowy River valley. These have mostly now disappeared and the valley remains remote and largely undeveloped.

 

Little River Falls and Environs

Enjoy the short walk to the lookout at Little River Falls and bid farewell to the waters of the upper Little River as they begin their headlong plunge to Snowy River far below. A dramatic feature of the Snowy River National

Park is the way in which deeply cut gorges slice a narrow path through ancient volcanic rocks before breaking out into the steep-sided valley of the Snowy River.

Here at the start of the Little River Gorge, you can see the forces which shaped this landscape in action. Watch the water at work as it erodes away at the edge of the escarpment.

Showy River National Park is home to a spectacular diversity of plants and animals. A large number of vegetation communities occur in the park, including warm temperate rainforest and rain shadow woodland This diversity is reflected in the fauna which includes more than 30 mammal species (from Common Wombats and Kangaroos to the rare Bush-tailed Rock wallaby) and about 150 species of birds. Reptiles, amphibians, insects and other invertebrates are also numerous

 

Little River Gorge

Little River Gorge is one of the most spectacular geological features of the park. Its sheer cliffs reach 500 metres in height, making it the deepest gorge in Victoria. The gorge is best viewed from the lookout platform located three kilometres along the road from here to MacKillop Bridge. Here a 400m walking track leads to a clifftop lookout where the dramatic scenery can be easily appreciated.

Look out also for signs of the endangered Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby. This gorge country is a vital refuge where it can receive the protection it needs from introduced predators such as foxes.

This is the deepest gorge in Victoria.

It has taken millions of years for the Little River to create it by eroding away hundreds of metres of rock. The gorge is 4km long and up to 500 metres deep. Wulgulmerang Creek plunges 300 metres from its partially hidden chasm in the gorge wall opposite the lookout.

Little River Gorge is a Site of National Geological and Geomorphological significance because:

    – this type of gorge is rare in Victoria 

    – it exposes all five formations of the Snowy River Volcanics

 

Why is this gorge here?

The type of rock (Snowy River Volcanics ) in the walls of the gorge has many fracture lines or cracks. Weathering widens these cracks until sections of rock break away as rockfalls and landslides, eventually creating a steep-sided gorge.

By comparison, the rocks (e.g. granite) which occur further downstream past the gorge have no such fracture lines. River erosion there is creating a broader valley with gentler slopes.

 

A fascinating geological past

Some 400 million of years ago this was a Tea of intense and explosive volcanic action. Three significant events occurred between 410 and 395 million years ago.

 

   1. Creation and filling of the Buchan Rift 

A deep, broad rift valley developed north-south from Victoria’s border almost to its coast. Repeated volcanic activity in the region gradually filled the rift valley with successive layers of lava which slowly formed into the lowest layers of the rock type we call the Snowy River Volcanics.

   2. Formation of the Caldera

Following a long period of erosion, volcanic activity recommenced around the Wulgulmerang area, creating the Woongulmerang Caldera (about 100 square km).

   3. Filling in of the Caldera

Further eruptions filled in this caldera. A lake formed. On occasions, rising molten lava met water. creating violent eruptions. The middle and top layer of Snowy River volcanic rock formed from these. repeated ash and lava flows.

 

Living in the Gorge

   Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby 

This remote gorge is one of the few places in Victoria where this rare wallaby lives. These surefooted wallabies can move quickly over rocks, using their long tail for balance.

By day they mostly sleep and hide among the rocks and ledges.

At night, they graze (grass is the preference). In the early morning and evening, they often bask in the sun to warm up.

Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies were not rare in the early days of European settlement. Many were shot for their soft fur. Many were killed by • introduced predators such as the Red Fox (foxes are, also good rock climbers).

Hunting is now prohibited and a Fox control program operates in this area.

 

   Tiger Quoll

The Tiger Quoll (Tiger Cat) is another rare animal that I from the Park’s remoteness.

It needs a large home territory. Foxes and feral Cats compete with it for food.

 

   Plants on the rocks

Suggan Buggan Mallees can grow into cracks in the exposed rock face. In stark contrast, tree ferns grow in the moist, shadowy chasm above Wulgulmerang Creek Falls (hidden from sight).

The uncommon Suggan Buggan Mallees also grow around this lookout.

 

The local flora, fauna, geology, history and some other walks (ChatGPT)

McKillops Bridge, located in the eastern part of the state of Victoria in southeastern Australia, was a place of remarkable natural beauty and history. The region was situated within the traditional lands of several Aboriginal groups, including the Bidawal, the Gunaikurnai, the Monaro Ngarigo, and the Nindi-Ngudjam Ngarigu Monero.

The flora of McKillops Bridge was diverse and abundant, with towering eucalyptus trees, banksias, and acacias dominating the landscape. The undergrowth was filled with a variety of ferns, grasses, and wildflowers, providing a rich habitat for many species of insects, birds, and mammals.

The fauna of the area was equally impressive, with kangaroos, wallabies, and wombats grazing in the open meadows and dense forests. The rivers and streams were teeming with fish, including trout and native species such as the Murray cod and the Macquarie perch. The birdlife was also abundant, with a variety of parrots, kookaburras, and birds of prey soaring overhead.

The geology of McKillops Bridge was shaped by the rugged terrain of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The region was characterized by deep gorges, rocky outcrops, and steep cliffs, formed over millions of years by the powerful forces of erosion and geological activity.

The history of the area was equally fascinating, with evidence of Aboriginal occupation dating back thousands of years. The Aboriginal people had a deep spiritual connection to the land and its natural features, and their culture and traditions were interwoven with the landscape. European settlement in the area began in the mid-1800s, and the region became a centre of activity for mining and forestry.

Visitors to McKillops Bridge could explore the region on a variety of walking trails, ranging from short walks to longer treks through the wilderness. The Silver Mine Track led visitors through a historic mining area, while the Little River Gorge Walk offered stunning views of the surrounding cliffs and valleys. The walks were an opportunity to experience the natural beauty and rich history of this remarkable region.

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