Changing scenery + a couple of creek crossings on the way to a stunning view
We’ve been to Carrington Falls umpteen times.
It’s one of our favourite spots to take visiting friends and family, and it’s a place we go to regularly for ourselves too, especially in the summer when the Blue Pool and Nellie’s Glen beckon.
But we’d never been on the northern side of Carrington Falls so decided to explore that part of the Budderoo National Park, starting with the Missingham Lookout walk.
It was the perfect length with a super wide trail and we were duly rewarded with not one, but two spectacular views.
Here’s what you need to know about this walk south east of Robertson.
Family-friendly :: Yep, the trails are wide. There’s a couple of small creek crossings which are always fun for the kids [helo stick boat races] and you’ll have to hang on to little ones at the beginning of the track near the Blue Pool.
Easy to access :: A small car park just off Carrington Falls Road is at the trail head.
Dog-friendly :: No, it’s in a National Park so no go for Fido.
Stairs :: None, but a couple of small rocky ascents and descents.
Length :: A 5 kilometres round trip – well, just over according to Map My Walk.
Time :: Just over an hour for us and that was with two wrong turns and taking pics at the two lookouts and we walk quickly too.
Cost :: Free
Getting there
Turn right at the Robertson Pie Shop and head down Jamberoo Mountain Road for about 5kms before taking the Carrington Falls signposted turn-off on the right.
Follow Carrington Falls Road and take the first car park on the right [it’s just 1.5km from the turn off].
If you hit the main Carrington Falls car park, you’ve gone too far.
Drive past the camping ground on the right and you’ll come to a small car park with a shelter.
The trail head is on the right hand side of the shelter.
Blue Pool
There’s a locked gate at the start of the trail but just walk around that and you’ll wander down towards the Blue Pool, a super popular spot in the summer.
Although when we were there in June, there were a couple of keen cold water swimmers! Brrrr….
Cross over the creek that runs into the Blue Pool – we did it without feet getting wet – there were a few perfectly placed rocks that allowed us to hop, skip and jump across to the other side.
If you’re worried about shoes getting wet, it’s only a shallow crossing so you can take shoes off and step across that way.
The path less travelled
Now, this is where we did our first wrong turn.
Once we crossed the creek, we turned left and followed what we thought was the obvious path which ran across the western side of the Blue Pool.
Don’t do that.
The Missingham Lookout path is dead ahead once you cross the creek.
It’s slightly overgrown for the first ten metres [which is why we missed it] or so then it widens out into a flat pathway.
Follow this track along for about 500 metres and you’ll actually come to a bit of a t-intersection.
This is where we took our SECOND wrong turn!
We turned right instead of following the track which loops around to the left, and ended up at the edge of a fenced paddock!
So veer left at this point and in another 100 metres you’ll come to a more distinct t-intersection where you’ll see a sign with an arrow pointing to Missingham Lookouts – yep, there’s actually two lookouts.
Cheeky creek crossing #2
The next section of track is nice and wide and partly runs along the boundary fence of a neighbouring property.
It gets a bit rocky about halfway along as you descend down towards a small creek, so watch your step here to prevent a rolled ankle.
At the bottom of the rocky hill, you’ll come to a small creek.
There’s a small path off the to the left that will take you to an easy spot to jump across the creek – it’s only shallow and not very wide so chances of getting wet shoes are very low.
And this is a good spot for the kids to run a stick boat regatta!
Not far now….
You’ll climb up a bit of a rocky ascent – nothing too hard or slippery though and into the eucalypt forest from here before hitting another t-intersection with signposts to the East and West lookouts and also, MIssingham steps.
Take your pick
We went to the East Lookout first which was short distance away and grateful for the blue skies on a perfect winters Highlands day, got a cracking and clear view across the valley down to the Kangaroo River.
How beautiful……
Go west
We retraced our steps back to the t-intersection and ambled along to the West Lookout which gave us views that were just as gorgeous as the first lookout!
A great spot to chill and relax and crack a mandy before heading back the way we came to the car park!
Good to know
If you do take the wrong turn and end up at the boundary fence of the farm, if you follow that boundary fence along to your left, it will actually meet up with the main trail again anyway so no harm done!
Oh, and there isn’t a loo at the trailhead car park too. The nearest one is at the main Carrington Falls car park. Found THAT one out the hard way!
What’s nearby?
Just a 5-10 minute drive from the lovely village of Robertson, take your pick of which fab cafes to stop in for a post-walk coffee hit.
Or if it’s lunchtime, swing by Robertson Public House for great food, a cold drink and that lovely chilled, country vibe the pub does so well.
We love sharing our awesome outdoor adventures with The Fold readers and want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy when giving our walks and rides a crack for themselves. So, always check the weather forecast before you venture out. If you’re heading into a National Park, be sure to consult the National Parks website for up-to-date information about current alerts. Prepare yourself with the right equipment, clothing, safety items, with plenty to eat and drink if you’re going on longer hikes, and always let someone else know where you’re going and what time you are expected to be back. Have fun and stay safe!