Apsley Falls is the place where the gentle New England tableland suddenly falls apart. The Apsley River drifts across open grazing country east of Walcha, and then, without much warning, it plunges over a lip of basalt into a deep gorge that belongs to Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Standing at the railing, you can feel the spray and hear the water long before you see the base. The gorge walls are layered rock, and the whole scene has the look of a country that was cut open by water over millions of years.
Walcha, seventeen kilometres to the west, is the nearest real town, a tidy tablelands settlement of two and a half thousand people with a reputation for fine merino wool and cool nights. This is high ground, around a thousand metres above sea level, so the air is crisp, frosts arrive early and the mornings often begin in mist. The Oxley Highway, which carries you here, is named after the explorer John Oxley, who crossed this country in 1818 on his search for inland rivers, and it runs east from the tablelands down to the coast at Port Macquarie.
As a ride, the Oxley is one of the better roads in New South Wales, though it has two moods. Up here it is open and rolling, with long sweeping bends over farmland, pale gums, and wide views to the ridge. Further east the road changes character, dropping off the escarpment through forest, with tighter corners and a surface that can be damp and slippery under the trees. Kangaroos and wombats are a real risk at dawn and dusk, so ride during the day if you can. Roadworks and logging trucks add to the picture.
Practical points: Walcha has fuel and cafes, and it is the last sure supply for a good distance, so fill the tank before the long run east. The falls have a short walking track, a picnic area and a campground, which suits a tea break by the river. The best time to be here is autumn, when the air is clear and the grass is gold, or after rain, when the falls are at their strongest and the gorge hums.