Veering slightly south we thought we’d check out Killen falls as a spot of cool off

It’s accessed from Friday Flat road and there is plenty of signage to get you to the car park.

From there it’s about a 400m walk to the base of the falls along a nice tourist trail.

There’s a large plunge pool at the base that is a popular swimming hole.

Being use to the crystal clear waters of Blue Mountains canyons it’s little brown and agricultural run offy but it’s a nice enough spot to cool off on a hot day if you are over the beach

On the drive back Kylie asks, Have I shown you the quarry

No, says I

Yeah I have, says she

No you haven’t, said I

Bexhill quarry is an old brick quarry that operated from the 1890s through to the 1940s. When operations ceased it filled up with water and became a popular swimming spot.

With no through flow the water became quite acidic and was found to have high levels of dissolved metals, such as Aluminium and magnesium, so in 2016 it was shut off due to “safety concerns”.

No sooner had the fence gone up than locals cut holes in it…

But nature seems to have found it equilibrium, subsequent testing found acidity levels returning to normal(ish) levels and plans were submitted 2021 to turn the area into a public reserve.

That hasn’t happened yet so in the mean time you’ll still need to climb through the holes in the fence. To be fair though, it’s more hole than fence.

The Quarry is accessed of Coleman Street (Bangalow Road) Bexhill. About 10km from Lismore

Water was quite pleasant indeed.

It’s a great spot for photography and a nice dip though, I recommend proficient swimmers only because I have no idea how deep it is.

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