The Beautiful Waterfalls of New Zealand
Chasing after waterfalls was another one of the checklists that materialised unintentionally while travelling in New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa.
This beautiful country named the land of the long white clouds when translated from its Maori name Aotearoa, has so many gorgeous elements!
After travelling the country extensively over two years during the pandemic, I realised I’d visited an impressive number of waterfalls.
Why not write a post and document all the pretty big and little cascades I’ve encountered over the two years here!
I was in New Zealand from 2020 to 2022. Aside from waterfalls, I’ve written a post on caves. I’m also a hiking enthusiast and have written most of my hikes under the page New Zealand. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!
Waterfalls of South Island
I spent most of my time living on the South Island.
I landed in Queenstown in December 2019. Shortly after, I moved to Christchurch, worked and saved, and later moved to Nelson Tasman. The lockdown happened when I was packing apples in sunny little Motueka.
Of the nine Great Walks I completed, the best are in the South Island, particularly Southland. They lie within a UNESCO site known as Te Wāhipounamu.
Southland’s position and geography influence its climate and topography, so you get plenty of rainfall, resulting in gorgeous waterfalls.
Milford Track
Labelled as the ‘finest walk in the world’ in 1908, the Milford Track is New Zealand’s most famous walk.
It is also highly subscribed.
I hiked the Milford track during the non-peak period, one week before it opened for the fully booked Great Walk season.
Sutherland Falls
The tallest waterfall in New Zealand resides on this Great Walk. It cascades from Lake Quill in three tiers, over 581 m, into a forested lake. Getting there, however, would need you to do a multi-day walk into the wilderness.
Alternatively, you could book a helicopter tour to the fall and lake without the hike.
As with all huge cascades, prepare to be badly sprayed!
Waterfalls abound in Milford, and aside from Sutherland, there are plenty more obscure ones scattered around.
Some are accessible, while others can only be seen from afar.
Some are permanent fixtures, while others appear only on a wet day.
The most ethereal Milford Track happens to be the aftermath of a miserable downpour.
Hirere Falls
Hirere Falls is another waterfall about an hour’s walk from Clinton Hut.
You could only see the waterfall from a distance.
Hidden Lake Falls
This waterfall is as its name indicates – hidden from the main route.
We had to stray about 5 minutes from the main route after spotting Hirere Falls.
Prairie Lake Falls
After the Hidden Lake Falls.
Milford Sound
Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of Milford Sound!
This is one of the iconic activities for anyone planning their South Island itinerary.
Milford Sound has plenty of waterfalls, especially on rainy days.
Most travellers visit Milford Sound as a day trip from Queenstown or Te Anau. The journey from either place can be fairly long, but you can remove the hours of driving by joining a tour.
Flying over the Southern Alps from Queenstown to Milford Sound is another experience that’s hard to forget.
Bowen Falls
Bowen Falls is usually the first waterfall one encounters as the cruise sets out.
Representing one of the two permanent falls here, the tallest waterfall in the sound plunges 162 m, providing water and hydroelectricity to the nearby town.
Apart from seeing it from the cruise, there’s a short hike to the falls by boat.
Stirling Falls
The 151 m Stirling Falls is the next permanent fall located further down the sound.
Unlike Bowen Falls, this fall plunges directly from a sheer cliff. A deep cove underneath allows the cruises to inch close to the waterfall.
Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound is another place to visit for its gorgeous waterfalls.
Unlike Milford Sound, this fjord is huge and has several inlets or arms. You could visit Doubtful Sound on a day cruise or an overnight cruise.
I went on an overnight cruise to fully immerse myself in the peace and tranquillity the operator advertises. It was an enjoyable experience though! And their food was remarkable!
But alas! All the good stuff distracted me from remembering or pinpointing the names of the waterfalls. Besides, it rained the night of our visit and there were millions of small waterfalls in the morning. The only cascade I remembered was the permanent Helena Falls.
Routeburn Track
Routeburn Falls
Unlike the waterfalls of Milford Track, which are nestled relatively deep within, the waterfalls of Routeburn Track are very accessible.
You could visit Routeburn Falls without walking the entire 3D2N track. This waterfall is conveniently situated within a day’s walk return from the carpark.
Earland Falls, a plunging 174 m cascade, is about three hours from The Divide at the other end of the Routeburn Track. We couldn’t visit this massive fall in Oct 2021 as the track was under construction following the 2020 flood.
The Catlins
Other than the Southland and Te Wāhipounamu, several more magnificent falls exist on the southeastern coast at Catlins, between Invercargill and Dunedin.
This stretch is best visited as a road trip starting from either town.
McLean Falls
McLean Falls isn’t very tall or wide, but its secludedness in nature makes it a stunning cascade to visit.
Purakaunui Falls
This three-tiered cascade in a beech forest has water tumbling over like icing on a cake.
Arthur’s Pass
Arthur’s Pass at 739 m, is the shortest way to travel from Christchurch to the West Coast.
It is not the tallest pass – Desert Road on SH1 in the North Island is 1074 m (surprise!!) – but there are beautiful walks, waterfalls and the world’s only alpine parrots, the Keas.
Devil’s Punchbowl Falls
You can visit the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls on a short walk from the carpark.
I did not find time to do the low-effort-high-value walk to the waterfall while on a day trip to hike the Avalanche Peak from Christchurch. But I saw the 131 m tall cascade during my climb as it was directly opposite us.
Avalanche Creek Falls
We hiked adjacent to this 80 m waterfall but weren’t able to appreciate it in full.
The only way to see it is across the street from the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls Track.
Waterfalls of North Island
Waterfalls on the North Island may not be as grand or breathtaking as the cascades in the South. Still, don’t waste the opportunity to visit one if you’re around the vicinity already!
Northland
I find Northland a strange region separated from the rest of the North Island by Auckland. As I studied the map of North Island while planning my itinerary, a thought struck me. What happens if one gets caught up in Northland when Auckland is in lockdown?
Murphy’s Law bumped me to answer my random thoughts while I was travelling in Northland for five days in a campervan and a sudden lockdown occurred in Auckland.
Rainbow Falls
The Rainbow Falls track is a 27 m waterfall in Kerikeri. There are three viewpoints to appreciate the curtain waterfall – two upper lookouts and a lower one.
For the best views, spend more time at the lower viewpoint.
Haruru Falls
Haruru Falls is a short and wide waterfall. Located 15 minutes from Paihia, this waterfall is an easy walk from the carpark.
Waikato
Caves and glowworms aside, Waikato has a couple of good cascades. The largest waterfall on the North Island, though very close to the Bay of Plenty, is in Waikato.
Marokopa Falls
Visiting Marokopa Falls could be arranged as a road trip from Waitomo in conjunction with the other hidden attractions, like the caves and interesting landforms.
However, since this road trip is relatively out of the way for a few worthwhile spots, there aren’t many visitors. In exchange for the effort, you get a stunning nature marvel with little to no people!
The 600 m return route from the carpark takes about 20 mins.
Wairere Falls
The tallest waterfall on the North Island is about an hour’s ride from the Capital of Kiwi Fruits – Te Puke.
Yeap, I visited this cascade on an off day from Kiwi grading.
It takes 1.5 hours for a return track from the lower lookout. You could also hike to the top of the waterfall, but there’s nothing worthwhile and you get spray and mud.
Around Rotorua and Taupo
Lake Taupo is the crater of a supervolcano, and Rotorua is in a crater! How crazy is that! I visited many hot springs, geothermal sites and waterfalls while travelling around this region.
Huka Falls
The Huka Falls count as one of the most spectacular falls.
Despite its relatively short drop of 11 m, the sight and sound of its roaring milky-blue water tumbling down at great speed was mesmerising!
While you could see the waterfall from a concrete bridge over its narrowest section, the best point to appreciate it is from an adjacent platform.
See the power of the falls up close with a thrilling jet boat ride!
Tutea Falls
Hike 30 mins into the forest to see Tutea Falls.
Or experience tumbling down the cascade on a white water raft!
The Tutea Falls, nestled deep inside the forest, is the highlight of the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall.
A 7 m drop does not sound like a lot for a waterfall. But falling from this cascade with a group of friends, all drummed in with adrenaline after a series of exciting rapids, is definitely an experience that’s hard to forget!
Lake Waikaremoana Track
My last and ninth Great Walk in New Zealand was around Lake Waikaremoana.
Situated on the Eastern side of the North Island, getting to this lake is not easy!
We had to travel over pothole-ridden roads to reach the track with poorly maintained huts and routes. That aside, the lake was spectacular and there weren’t many people around given the difficulty of accessing it.
Korokoro Falls
Hiking to Korokoro Falls is a memorable side trip on my multi-day expedition around Lake Waikaremoana.
I visited the lake during the lull season and my friend and I encountered less than a handful of people!
Getting there was a pain though! A 4-hour drive from Rotorua followed by a 2-day hike into the forest to the 22 m falls.
Conclusion/ Rambles
That concludes all the waterfalls I’ve visited while travelling in New Zealand as a Working Holiday Maker.
I sure am lucky now that I’ve put them all into a post and reflected on my journey over those 2 years.
If you are serious about visiting waterfalls, this website is a useful start for your waterfall collection.
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