Nigretta Falls sits on the Wannon River in the Western District volcanic province, a spectacular setting of ancient volcanic rock, seasonal flows, and steep escarpments. It’s one of the region’s signature natural attractions, with established picnic areas, a descent to the river base, and a formal lookout—now renewed through this upgrade.
CHALLENGES AND Solutions
1. Winter build in exposure.
Construction occurred through cold, wet, and windy periods typical of the Southern Grampians. We front-loaded off-site fabrication; on site, we used short work fronts and weather windows to complete rock drilling and concrete placements, then fastened prefabricated FRP modules under fall-arrest protocols.
2. Steep, rocky footing design.
Irregular rock faces meant achieving both bearing capacity and anchor pull-out targets while threading through root zones. We combined resin-bonded anchors (where specified) and cast-in sockets with controlled grout to meet the geotech acceptance criteria without blow-outs into fractured seams.
3. Legacy alignment, modern compliance.
Retaining the spirit of the original route while meeting AS 1657 and AS 2156.2 geometry was a key constraint; our stair modelling balanced comfort ratios with platform spacing to deliver compliant risers/goings and clear landings that feel natural in the landscape.
