Ingalalla Waterfall - Second Valley Forest Reserve, South Australia

While I expect that most of my posts here will be about awesome places to be seen in The Territory, since I'm back home for Christmas I thought I'd mention a local spot - Ingalalla Waterfall, or Puttland's Waterfall in the old money.  Somehow despite the falls being 'just down the road' from where I spent the first 18ish years of my life I hadn't heard of the place till last night when it came up in conversation over Christmas dinner.  So as I had nothing planned for today I decided to go check them out with mum. 

Picnic area near the base of the falls

 

The walk to Ingalalla Falls

Turns out Ingalalla Falls (GPS coordinates 54H TF 59089 64799) are quite well sign posted.  Heading down Main South Road from Yankalilla to Normanville you turn left (at the sign) onto Hay Flat Road.  About 10 kilometres down Hay Flat Road you will see another sign for Ingalalla Waterfall directing you to the right and into Second Valley Forest Reserve.  A very short distance down the road is a shady car park with a couple picnic tables.  About 500 meters from there, passing over a little foot bridge is the base of the falls where there is a second shady and well maintained picnic area.  The hillside along the path is currently in full bloom with St John's Wort, giving it a pretty yellow glow.  I'm not actually very good with plant names but mum was there to point it out.  They say it's good for depression but I ate a bit of it and reckon eating much of that would soon get pretty depressing.



After spending the last 3 years exploring around the NT it's pretty safe to say that Ingalalla is not the most spectacular set of falls I've encountered and although the risk of getting eaten by a croc there is pretty minimal I still wouldn't be too keen on jumping in for a swim right now.  The water at the bottom wasn't looking all that inviting this time of year.  That said it's not a bad spot for a quiet picnic and would of course look a little different in the wet season (winter for the Southerners).  

Ingalalla Waterfall and plunge pool - if you look closely you can see Mum sitting near the big rock to the right

Looking down from the side of the hill

If you walk around to the left side of the falls it's possible to scramble up to the base of the upper section of the falls.  There is another smaller plunge pool there but it is currently a simular shade of frothy brown to the one at the base.  To the right of the falls there is a narrow 'path' that has been worn into the steep hill.  I ventured up but it's not the easiest climb.  The ground was dark loose bull dust - prime for falling on your bum and either side of the path is thick with black berry bushes.  Excellent for spiking yourself on.  Part way up the side of the hill some nice chap or chapet has tied a rope to a couple trees which you can use to pull yourself up.  It came in very handy.

Beyond the rope I scrambled a bit of a way further up.  The plan was to then cut across to the left and get to the very top of the falls.  Once I got there it soon became pretty evident that that was not a realistic goal without gaiters and riggers gloves (and maybe a welding mask, machete and a knapsack of Roundup).  The shrubbery up there was solid black berries and something else even more spikey.  So I abandoned that idea and part scrambled part slid on my bottom back to the base, fortunately with only minor injuries.

Mum tells me that when she came there as a kid there used to be a set of stone steps that went up the falls along the right side of the falls.  If you know what you're looking and squint your eyes and tilt your head just right you can make out a few of the steps.  But quickly these disappear into the black berries and what's left of them is hidden away.

Despite it being not the most grand of waterfalls Ingalalla is very accessible and makes for a pretty nice backdrop for a quite afternoon picnic even now in the Southern summer. 

Visited 26.12.2013