Secret Falls and Myrtle Gully Falls

Secret Falls and Myrtle Gully Falls sit on the same walk in the foothills of kunanyi / Mount Wellington, reached from the end of Old Farm Road in South Hobart behind the Cascade Brewery. Dogs are welcome on lead, and the rule here is set by the Wellington Park Management Trust rather than the city council, which matters because it does not apply uniformly across the park.

The walk. About 5.6 km all up, graded moderate, and most people are out for two to two and a half hours. The climb is steady rather than sharp, through wet forest with tall eucalypts and tree ferns. Myrtle Gully Falls is the larger of the two, roughly six metres, seen from a small wooden bridge. Secret Falls is smaller and set in a narrow rock cleft, reached by an unmarked side track that drops away to the left about fifty metres before the main falls.

The rules. On lead throughout, and the lead must be no more than two metres. These tracks fall inside the Wellington Park Recreation Zone, where leashed dogs are permitted on approved walking tracks. Other tracks within Wellington Park carry different and stricter conditions, so read the sign at the trailhead rather than assuming the whole mountain is open to dogs. There are no bins out here; whatever you bag, you carry out.

Hazards. Rock underfoot goes slick in the wet, which is most of the year in this gully. The side track to Secret Falls is the sharp end of it: steep, loose and often muddy.

Getting there. Take Macquarie Street out of the city, follow it onto Cascade Road, then turn into Old Farm Road and run it to the very end. Parking is a small free gravel area and there is not much of it. There are no toilets at the trailhead or anywhere on the tracks. Metro Tasmania buses serve Cascade Road, but it is a long uphill walk from the nearest stop to the start.

Nearby with the dogs. Hobart Rivulet Park is the flat, easy option in the same suburb when legs are tired. Knocklofty Summit Loop is the next climb over. Rivulet Cafe is the closest coffee once you are back down.

When to go. Mid week mornings, for a quiet track and a space at the end of Old Farm Road. Go after rain if you want the falls actually falling, and accept a muddier walk for it; in a dry spell the flow thins to very little. Good for big runners who need a climb rather than a lap.

Sources

• Dog walking - Wellington Park · wellingtonpark.org.au
• Secret Falls and Myrtle Gully Falls, Tasmania, Australia · www.alltrails.com
• Myrtle Gully Falls Walk - Trail Hiking Australia · www.trailhiking.com.au
• Secret Falls - Waterfalls of Tasmania · waterfallsoftasmania.com.au

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.