Above: Looking over the top of Waratah Falls to the old Mount Bischoff Tin Mine
March 13-16, 2019
As we wanted to look at this area around Waratah and are needing to kill a little time before some mail arrives at Stanley for us, we came down here via Ridgley and will go back via Hellyer Gorge so as not to repeat the same road.
There are more falls and walking tracks around here and some local history to explore.
The campground here is council run and caters for full service (power,water, showers and a free laundry) or self sufficient but still with access to toilets which was our option.
The town has several historic sites including the Athenaeum Hall, Old Post Office and the Mt. Bischoff hotel (the only of four hotels left)
Next door to the hall is the relocated Stamper Mill, used by the last miner to work the diggings, Dudley Kenworthy
A walk around town is not very far and lets you see the older buildings as well as a view of the falls from the Western side looking back across to the town; a couple of reproduction water wheels (One working in the river) commemorates that Waratah was the first place to use hydro power for an industrial site.
A reproduction cottage gives some idea of the conditions the early miners lived in and the museum is in the old Courthouse including the original Judges bench and The Dock
The Lake below the campground has several Platypus in residence which frequently come out every day at sunset; we did manage to see some at a little distance just before the sun went down
This site in the Full Range Camping Directory: https://www.fullrangecamping.com.au/directory/item/waratah-caravan-rv-park-cp/
