We have been to the town of Stanley on many occasions, it is one of the ‘go to’ places to take visitors. The signpost on the highway to Dip Falls, 27km inland, has always intrigued me but time has been our limiting factor in the past. We decided to stay overnight on our latest trip which gave us the opportunity for a detour and picnic lunch. The peaceful drive through picturesque farmland was on a mostly sealed road with the last few kilometres unsealed but well maintained. We chose to view the falls from below first, the initial impression on our descent held promise of something spectacular.

The stairs are steep but easily traversed (with a rest or two on the ascent).

The roar of the tumbling water and further glimpses through the foliage spurred us on.

The wonder that awaited us was breathtaking.

In the absence of a very wide angle lens, I resorted to photographing sections of the falls as the two tiers dropped thirty metres over distinctive dolerite columns.

The tranquility downstream belied the tempest of the falls mere metres away.

At the top of the falls, the serene waters were idyllically unaware of their impending adventure.

Even from the lookout, the extent of the vista demanded serial photographs.

Dip River was once a working forest and during the 1920s, the small community of three houses endured isolation and hardship to manage the sawmill. Not far from the top of the falls, remnants of an old boiler that provided steam to power the sawmill, lies as a reminder of Tasmania’s timber heritage.