Sailors Falls

Daylesford / Macedon Ranges, Victoria, Australia

About Sailors Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Sailors Falls was a convenient (almost roadside) waterfall situated in the Hepburn Regional Park just south of the historic town of Daylesford.

In our experiences, the falls would be most impressive during or immediately after significant rain storms would saturate Sailors Creek.

Sailors_Falls_17_040_11192017 - Sailors Falls
Sailors Falls

In some of the historical photos shown in the signage nearby, there could be twin waterfalls flowing side-by-side (as opposed to the singular drop you see above).

In any case, getting the view that you see pictured above only required a mere 150-200m walk towards the top of the steps leading down to the ravine carved out by Sailors Creek.

At the bottom of the descent, there was a bench and another lookout, but the view of the falls from down there was obstructed.

We learned after the fact that some of the locals in the know were able to cross Sailors Creek (as part of the Mineral Springs Walk) then scramble upstream towards the base of the main segment of Sailors Falls.

Sailors_Falls_17_016_11192017 - Steps leading down to the lookout near the base of Sailors Falls
Steps leading down to the lookout near the base of Sailors Falls

We didn’t do this on either of our visits, but we wished that we did.

Timing Sailors Falls

Speaking of which, the first time we visited Sailors Falls was in November 2006, which was during the Great Australian Drought that lasted for the better part of the decade.

As a casualty of the drought, the falls was bone dry during that visit.

It wasn’t until 11 years later when we finally had the opportunity to witness the falls in a flowing state.

Sailors_Falls_002_11122006 - Sailors Falls was dry as a bone on our first visit in November 2006
Sailors Falls was dry as a bone on our first visit in November 2006

However, this had followed a rain storm that lasted for a couple of days prior to our arrival to Spa Country.

Prior to that storm, the Winter and Spring had been unusually dry, and the previous rains had occurred over a month before that latest storm.

So indeed, these observations further reinforced the notion that it was all about timing when it came to seeing this falls perform.

Sailors Falls History

Finally, Sailors Creek was once the site of a gold rush in the 1850s.

Sailors_Falls_17_026_11192017 - Sailors Falls as seen during our November 2017 visit where the twin segment wasn't flowing on this day
Sailors Falls as seen during our November 2017 visit where the twin segment wasn’t flowing on this day

Much of the surrounding timber was denuded to support the mining activities and the growth of neighboring settlements, including the town of Daylesford to the north.

These days, the mineral content of the waters in the region had been recognized as possessing healing qualities.

Therefore, the watercourses became protected in the name of spa tourism with the ancillary benefit of experiencing waterfalls such as this one.

Authorities

Sailors Falls resides in the Hepburn Regional Park near Daylesford, Victoria. It is administered by Parks Victoria. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: ballarat, macedon, daylesford, hepburn, victoria, australia, waterfall, spa, hepburn



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2016 Rains bring Sailors Falls Alive October 7, 2016 5:55 am by Leo Vredenbregt - I came out to fish the many small dams and reservoirs around the region and thus left my heavy camera gear at home. I stopped off at Sailors Falls on the way back to Melbourne and was delighted to see them in full flow. I say 'them' because there are actually two falls next to… ...Read More
The Wet Season (Sailors Falls) October 20, 2010 7:08 pm by Aaron Nuffer - I visited Sailors Falls in August 2010, during a seasonal wet pattern. Both sides were flowing, with the western drop in a segmented form. ...Read More

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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.