The Transit of Venus Track is a family-friendly bushwalking trail in the suburb of Woodford that takes in three small but picturesque waterfalls.
Despite its mysterious name, this 4 km hike is not as well-known as other waterfall walks in the Blue Mountains, but it’s an enjoyable outing nonetheless.
In this guide, we will share the highlights of this bushwalk, including photos of the three waterfalls, a map, and insider tips.
| Transit of Venus Track | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 4 km (part loop) |
| Duration: | 2 hours |
| Grade: | Easy / moderate (steep sections) |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
Getting There
The Transit of Venus Track can be started from various locations, but we recommend starting from Woodbury Street in Woodford (see map location).
From the Great Western Highway, turn into Woodford Avenue in Woodford. From there, turn left into Weroona Avenue and then turn right into Woodbury Street. There is a small car park at the trailhead.
The trail that starts from there is also called the Mabel Falls Walking Track because the first waterfall to visit is Mabel Falls.
Map
In the map below, we have marked the three waterfalls along the trail, starting from the small car park on Woodbury Street in Woodford:
- Mabel Falls
- Edith Falls
- Hazel Falls
Track Notes
The Transit of Venus Track is usually very quiet, so you may well be the only person(s) on the trail.
We rate this walk as an easy to moderately challenging walking trail. It’s a short walk, and the path is pretty easy to follow, but there are a couple of short, steep sections, and some sections of the walk are a bit overgrown.
We strongly recommend doing this walk after some rainfall to make the most of the waterfalls. During dry periods, the three waterfalls just aren’t very impressive.
The Start
From the information board at the car park, the trail heads straight into the bush via a fire trail.
After a couple of hundred metres of walking, you’ll arrive at a gate that marks the boundaries of the National Park. Cross that gate to continue on the trail.
Past the gate, the path quickly evolves from a fire trail into a bush track while it descends via various staircases.
Mabel Falls
Another 500 metres into the walk, and you will arrive at a junction with the trail to Mabel Falls.
At that junction, you will need to turn left to do the short side trail (275 metres) to the first of the three waterfalls on the trail.
The scenery along this short side trail is very pleasant, winding through a dense forest filled with tall trees and lush ferns.
Mabel Falls is a small waterfall on Woodford Creek with a natural waterhole. The trees and ferns surrounding the waterfall and pool make this quite an idyllic spot.
But as we mentioned above, this waterfall looks best after rainfall. During dryer periods, you may not see much water flowing.
Edith Falls
From Mabel Falls, retrace your steps back to the junction and continue northbound on the main trail from there.
After a few hundred metres of hiking, the trail arrives at a big intersection with a fire trail. There was a large pile of rocks and boulders in the middle of that intersection when we were there, but we’re not sure if that was just a temporary obstacle.
To get to Edith Falls, you will need to cross the intersection and go straight ahead along the narrow bush path.
It’s only a short walk from there to get to Edith Falls, but you’ll need to do a short side trail to your right that leads to the waterfall. It’s very short but also quite steep.
Edith Falls is challenging to get close to because it requires a bit of rock scrambling and climbing, but it’s all very doable.
We think Edith Falls is the prettiest of the three waterfalls on the Transit of Venus Walk, but again, some rainfall is needed to get that water flowing.
Hazel Falls
From Edith Falls, continue on the narrow bush path, heading westbound towards the third waterfall of the day: Hazel Falls.
It’s about 650 metres of hiking to get there, and the trail between the two is fittingly referred to as the Hazel Falls Walking Track.
We think this section is the prettiest of the entire walking trail, with lovely bush scenery to enjoy. The path goes slightly uphill but is easy to follow and negotiate.
After about 600 metres, you will reach a signpost at a junction where you must go straight ahead to visit Hazel Falls, which is only another 30 metres away.
Like the other waterfalls, Hazel Falls is small but picturesque. The overhang behind the waterfall allows you to see the waterfall from behind, which is lovely. To see the front of the waterfall, you’ll have to cross the creek and do a bit of rock scrambling.
We struggled to get a proper photo of the waterfall, as there wasn’t much water flowing, and the trees were a bit obscuring. But it’s a beautiful waterfall, and the secluded surroundings make it a lovely spot to explore.
The Return
Once you’ve finished exploring Hazel Falls, walk back to the junction. Instead of returning the way you came from Edith Falls, follow the path up the staircase.
This 200m path leads to a fire trail, where you need to turn left to continue the Transit of Venus loop.
A few hundred metres further along the trail, you will arrive at the intersection we mentioned above (where we saw the pile of rocks).
From there, retrace your steps back to the car park on Woodbury Street!
Keen to do another waterfall walk? Check out the Terrace Falls Circuit in Hazelbrook, a beautiful track with several waterfalls and pools.
