Robin Falls

Adelaide River, Northern Territory, Australia

About Robin Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Robin Falls was once an obscure waterfall that we had stumbled upon while combing through our very useful road atlas during our pre-trip research prior to our June 2006 visit to Australia.

However, over the years, this waterfall had gained in popularity, which we witnessed for ourselves when we returned to it in June 2022.

Robin_Falls_074_06112022 - Robin Falls
Robin Falls

I suspect that a big reason for its popularity was that it featured a three-tiered waterfall with a cumulative height of about 20-25m.

It involved a fairly straightforward and short 1.2km return hike with some moderate scrambling towards the end.

With some additional careful scrambling, there was also a plunge pool between the second and third drop that offered croc-free swimming with a nice little view to boot.

Being that it was a short distance from the town of Adelaide River, which itself was not far south of the town of Batchelor, we also noticed a lot of people camping alongside its seasonal creek near its trailhead.

When To Visit Robin Falls

Robin_Falls_014_06042006 - Robin Falls when we first saw it in early June 2006
Robin Falls when we first saw it in early June 2006

Like with most of the waterfalls in the Top End of Australia, most of the area’s annual rainfall tends to occur during the Wet (typically between November and April though Climate Change has been shrinking this window).

Both times that we’ve visited Robin Falls has been in early June so you can get an idea of how much flow there ought to be in that transitional period between the Wet and Dry Seasons.

I can’t say for certain when the creek and waterfall goes dry, but I’d imagine by around July or August the falls stops putting on a show.

That said, given the seasonal nature of the creek, there is a low probability of saltwater crocodile attacks, especially if you do choose to scramble up to the pool beneath the second tier of the falls.

Robin_Falls_045_06112022 - Tahia checking out Robin Falls when we came back 16 years later
Tahia checking out Robin Falls when we came back 16 years later

Since this waterfall faces east, it tends to get decent light (if it’s sunny) in the morning.

Towards midday and in the afternoon, you pretty much have to look against the sun for the most part so it’s not ideal for taking pictures.

That was precisely what happened to us on our first visit, which took place at around 2pm in the afternoon.

Under those conditions, we were able to take some long exposure photos, but the lone bright spot at the top of the falls tended to get washed out.

Robin_Falls_120_06112022 - Back at the car park for Robin Falls as we faced the morning sun (meaning we faced east on the way out so morning is the right time of day to get backlighting on the waterfall itself)
Back at the car park for Robin Falls as we faced the morning sun (meaning we faced east on the way out so morning is the right time of day to get backlighting on the waterfall itself)

You’d probably have to wait until later in the afternoon when the sun would be completely behind the cliffs casting long shadows and thus making the lighting even again.

How To Experience Robin Falls

From the end of the Robin Falls Road (see directions below), the trail pretty much followed along the creek responsible for the waterfall.

It was a pretty straightforward walk on a trail that was pretty obvious to follow for the most part (though there was one fork that eventually converged back on the main trail).

Shortly after a confluence where Robin Creek was joined by another creek, we kept to the right along the banks of the main creek though the trail started to become a little rougher.

Robin_Falls_032_06112022 - Beyond the confluence of a pair of creeks, the Robin Falls Trail was a little bit rough (the fallen tree didn't help), but we still had to keep to the right
Beyond the confluence of a pair of creeks, the Robin Falls Trail was a little bit rough (the fallen tree didn’t help), but we still had to keep to the right

In one stretch, the trail involved a little bit of an aided rock hop to keep the feet dry before resuming with the main trail.

After a few more minutes, the trail then ended at the plunge pool with a somewhat partial view of Robin Falls (especially its lower tiers, which twisted over its final two drops).

In order to get a closer and cleaner look at the entirety of the waterfall, we had to carefully scramble on the slippery rocks to the right side of the creek.

This is where having a good pair of hiking boots as well as some experience comes in handy since a slip and fall here can cause some serious injury here.

Robin_Falls_103_06112022 - Closer look at Tahia scrambling besides the bottom tier of Robin Falls with the secluded plunge pool just to her right
Closer look at Tahia scrambling besides the bottom tier of Robin Falls with the secluded plunge pool just to her right

We managed to scramble a little further up alongside the bottommost drop of Robin Falls, where we then accessed another plunge pool that was more secluded and yielded a nice view downstream.

Overall, this excursion took us a little over an hour even though we spent a bit of time at the waterfall itself.

Nomenclature

By the way, we noticed that this waterfall might be referred to as “Robyn Falls.”

At least Lonely Planet Australia (we had the 12th edition published 2004) spelled it out this way.

Robin_Falls_085_06112022 - Looking downstream from the brink of the lowermost tier of Robin Falls
Looking downstream from the brink of the lowermost tier of Robin Falls

However, my useful Explore Australia 2006 Road Atlas spelled it with as Robin Falls, which was the convention we were sticking with.

From what I could tell, this waterfall didn’t have a formally-recognized Aboriginal name though its traditional owners are the Kungarakan people.

Authorities

Robin Falls resides in the Coomalie Shire near Adelaide River in the Northern Territory. It is administered by the Coomalie Community Government Council. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: adelaide river, dry season, coomalie, northern territory, darwin, australia, waterfall, outback



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.