About Oldaker Falls
Oldaker Falls was essentially an urban waterfall that was the centerpiece of Burnie Park, which itself sat within the city of Burnie.
The waterfall sat at the top end of the hilly park where Stoney Creek dropped beneath Oldaker Street as the watercourse made its way through the park on its way to the Bass Strait.
Julie and I felt that this waterfalling excursion was unusual in that we were strolling through more of an urban recreational park instead of hiking in a reserve.
That said, the lush surroundings within the park also made it feel like we were in an island of green despite the urban developments of the bustling city itself.
Indeed, we sensed that Burnie residents could conveniently enjoy the park and its waterfall in all seasons.
And they can do so as part of a morning exercise, a lunch break, or even an after work detox as well as a good place to let the kids have play time at one of the jungle gyms here.
Experiencing Oldaker Falls
From its well-defined car park (see directions below), Julie and I walked the paved path past the playgrounds, amphitheatres, and picnic grounds for the unpaved walking track that pretty much followed along Stoney Creek.
It didn’t take long before the track entered more bush settings though the man-modified concrete water channels and retaining walls reminded us of our urban surroundings just beyond the trees around us.
After about 250m, we reached a series of steps that climbed above a small channel containing an intermediate man-modified waterfall before continuing further upstream to the base of the Oldaker Falls.
Once at the falls, we could clearly see more evidence of man-modified enhancements to Stoney Creek to ensure the water stayed within the channel while also maintaining a plunge pool pond to sit and relax by.
We then went up some steps alongside the cascading waterfall where it dead-ended near the base of the main upper drop and cascade.
When Julie and I first showed up back in late November 2006, the waterfall wasn’t doing so well though it was flanked by attractive pink flowers.
It was hard to tell if the flowers came from invasive weeds, which wouldn’t be surprising given all the residences around the park.
From having experience doing volunteer work to pull weeds and invasive species in wetlands and reserves, I know that most introduced species come from homes and gardens in built-up areas.
They would typically find their way to seed the protected or undeveloped parts and consequently elbow out native species.
When Julie and I came back to Burnie Park in early December 2017, Oldaker Falls had much better flow than it did in 2006.
However, its volume was aided by a powerful storm that flooded large parts of Victoria across the Bass Strait.
Such observations kind of indicated to us the degree of variability in Stoney Creek’s flow so I’d imagine the falls would be best seen shortly after a heavy rain.
Overall, Julie and I had spent a very relaxing 30-45 minutes away from the car.
This included examining the war memorial obelisks on one end of Burnie Park and taking in the waterfall at the other end of the park.
It also included checking out the historic Burnie Inn by the main car park, which was said to be Burnie’s oldest building.
Authorities
Oldaker Falls resides in Burnie Park in the town of Burnie, Tasmania. It is administered by the Burnie City Council. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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Oldaker Falls and Blocking Trees August 15, 2013 7:40 am - In Winter I visited Oldaker Falls, a beautiful little Waterfall with heaps of flowing water . May I suggest the Burnie Council eradicate the annoying blackberries and stinking onion weed . A small tree is starting to block the view of the Waterfall . What a great attraction it could be made if the surrounding… ...Read MoreNearest Waterfalls
