Hidden Falls (Meander) 2018

Hidden Falls (Meander) 2018 Nov / Dec

It took me three tries to get there with all my equipment to offer you these shots:

Time A
I never found Hidden Falls. They were true to their name. What fun. I must come back and search more effectively next time.

Time B
Now I was back with more information, and found them  very quickly. (This time I knew which bump in the contours contained the falls.) Being allowed to navigate my own way to the falls was as much fun as orienteering. There are so few places remaining these days that retain a little challenge for the more adventurous – and I love a challenge. I also love the freedom to make mistakes. I don’t want to be a robot or a puppet. I go to the bush for freedom.

The few people who have seen these falls said they were special, but as I gazed with wonder, and tried to analyse what made them special – and compared them to other, similar falls where you have a shower effect (such as Bridal Veil Falls) – it seemed to me that it was not so very much the pretty shower, the height or even the kind of amphitheatre structure that gave this place its primary allure; rather, it was its unspoiled nature, unblemished by human infrastructure, rubbish and trappings … and the intrigue of the search.

In bygone days, I would have told you how to get to these falls, trusting you to be a proper bushwalker who could navigate to the place if given basic directions, and presuming you would leave it exactly as you found it, as real bushwalkers do. But nowadays, I won’t, as if I did, the pink tape bandits would march in, put tape every two metres to guide the people who don’t have enough bushcraft to get there by themselves, and all sanctity will be lost. So much of our bush is being dumbed down, but not this tiny bit, so I will leave it its allure.

I feel we need to leave some holy places; somewhere like this is far more special than a human made church building, and yet, we who love nature in this way are having all our spiritual places stolen by people who do not share our reverence, and yet who demand to see all these places. Lots of falls have aesthetically pleasing and tiny paths to them for people who can’t navigate, and yet these pretty paths are being rubbished with unnecessary and ugly strips of pink plastic.

After I had sat and enjoyed the spiritual nature of this pristine place, I got out my camera to photograph it, for I love to interact with nature photographically; it is my artistic response to the beauty I am witnessing. I perched on a slippery log and got out my tripod and the other trappings needed for this task, and set up the first shot. Now, before I continue, let it be stressed: before I left home, I checked the state of my battery (and for its presence in my camera) and I deleted all the photos from the memory card to keep it clear. But now, my camera was telling me there was no memory card. It seems that it’s possible to carry out the function “delete all photos on card” without actually having a card present. Oh swear, swear.

Time C.
This time I had my camera, complete with memory card and battery. And the above photos show what Hidden Falls look like.