Carmichael Falls, Dinner Plain, Victoria

THE STORY

One year I arrived at Hotham and the weather was foul. So I retreated off the mountain to Dinner Plain to shoot for the day (see Carmichael Falls). At the end of the day I was desperate for a refreshing ale (read beer), so I went straight to the pub in all my wet snow gear. Drying out in front of the open fire, I enjoyed a lovely meal (half a chook!) and the warmth. The thought of going outside into the freezing cold and camping wasn’t turning me on, so I enquired at the bar about some available accommodation. Unfortunately the local ski instructors had booked all the rooms. Bugger!

I must confess that I actually don’t like roughing it, believe it or not. I much prefer a warm shower and a comfy bed at the end of a day’s work outside braving the elements. Camping is just a means to an end for me. It allows me to be in the right place at the right time. If there was a hotel next to every place I shoot, I’d be happy! When I’m amongst it, I’m happy. But having a taste of civilisation means I want more.

So when I had to leave the pub and grab the tent out of my car, I was less than impressed. However, once in my puffy, comfy sleeping bag, I was a happy camper!

These falls were a godsend. I arrived at Mount Hotham to walk along Razorback Ridge towards Mount Feathertop. Whilst the forecast was good, the conditions were not, with very low visibility and strong winds. This meant the ridge walk was out of the question. I continued down the road to Dinner Plain to grab some lunch and reassess my plans.

Whilst taking a look at the local information, I noticed Carmichael Falls on a map and googled it. A friend of mine had a nice shot from there and, trusting his photographic integrity, I walked through the forest to find these falls. The nearby lookout had good views but nothing much photographically. I soon noticed some footprints in the snow down to this vantage point adjacent to the falls. I thought to myself, “If someone else can go there, so can I.”

It was an ordeal getting down there. The track was steep, rocky and slippery in the wet snow. I positioned myself against the rock with a steep drop-off behind me to get this shot between the rocks.