I follow this idea that I post about the first waterfall I visit in a specific area. In this case, I’m posting about a quirky waterfall I found on Google Maps that didn’t have much water flowing when we visited yesterday.

We’re in Australia right now, in what is the Southern Hemisphere fall. It’s been rather enjoyable weather here, with a bit of rain and chilliness sprinkled in. We landed in Melbourne and stayed there for two days to adapt to the time zone changes. After two days, we obtained our rental car and headed south from Melbourne. We headed to Phillip Island, and along the way, with a short detour, there’s a waterfall labeled on Google Maps as Secret Falls. I’m guessing it’s “secret” because it’s not a widely advertised waterfall, though that may be due to the seasonality of the creek. There was a tiny bit of water flowing over the falls.

The real attraction here is not the waterfall, though I like looking for waterfalls because they can lead to other beautiful things. The waterfall is in the Kilcunda Coastal Reserve, which is really stunning. You’ll get some amazing views of the Indian Ocean. The cliffs at this location are rather impressive.

Getting to the falls isn’t very difficult, though I found that the location pinned on Google Maps wasn’t exactly accurate. The falls are about 1 kilometer to the west of the pin, at least in walking distance. The walk provides great views of the cliffs. The cliffs are the main attraction, though if you want to see the falls at more flow, visiting after a good rainfall is necessary.

Directions:

1. Follow the M420 south outside of the Melbourne suburbs. You’ll drive a good ways on M420, essentially until it changes to B420.
2. At the intersection of B420 and B460, you’ll turn left onto B460. You’ll continue on B460 through a few roundabouts until you reach the Kilcunda Coastal Reserve. The Shelley Beach Carpark will be the location to start at.
3. From the Shelley Beach Carpark, you can head west along the George Bass Coastal Walk.
4. The falls are rather easy to find if know that you’re looking for a wood bridge that crosses the seasonal creek where the falls are found. So if you haven’t reached a bridge, keep going along the coastal walk.
5. Before you cross the bridge, you’ll see a path veer off to the left toward the ocean. You’ll see the falls from there. If there’s not much water, you may not hear the falls. I didn’t go down to see the falls at the base because the waves were pretty intense in that area.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 15′
Length of Hike: 1 mile round-trip

Where in the World is Secret Falls?