The best waterfalls in New Zealand

In Māori, “Huka” means “foam,” which makes perfect sense once you see the rushing waterfall and its white, frothy waters.

I quickly looked up why the water appears so blue. The water at Huka Falls comes from Lake Taupō, which is mainly fed by snowmelt from the upper reaches of the Waikato River. The water contains fine volcanic sediments that scatter light, making blue and green wavelengths more visible to the human eye, which gives the water its striking blue colour. As the river narrows through the gorge, the forceful flow creates a large amount of foam, making the whole scene even more vivid and bright.

Best viewing spots:

Sutherland Falls is located in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, Sutherland Falls drops in three tiers with a total vertical fall of 580 meters. It is not only one of the tallest waterfalls in New Zealand but also ranks among the highest in the world.

The waterfall originates from a lake near the mountain summit and plunges down into a remote valley surrounded by dramatic alpine peaks. It can usually be accessed via the Milford Track (a 4–5 hour return hike, moderate difficulty), or viewed from above by helicopter, which offers a stunning perspective of the lake feeding the falls from the mountain top. It can also be seen from a Milford Sound cruise.

Its remote location, immense scale, and untouched natural surroundings make it one of the most breathtaking sights on New Zealand’s South Island.

Bridal Veil Falls (New Zealand)

It’s surprisingly easy to “take over” a waterfall for just the two of you in New Zealand.

This is Bridal Veil Falls, located west of Hamilton, about a one-hour drive away. As the name suggests, the waterfall really does look like a bridal veil—delicate and flowing, almost like a soft curtain of water.

Today I want to recommend a famous waterfall track I visited recently — Wairere Falls. It’s located in Waikato and is also known as the highest waterfall in the North Island.

At the beginning, you walk through a forest and then slowly start climbing uphill. Along the way, the trees and rocks are all covered in moss, and you’ll keep seeing small streams running beside the track. The trail is pretty easy to walk, and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the waterfall viewing platform. The waterfall is really tall — seeing it with your own eyes is way more shocking and impressive than in photos!

Because we had to rush to our next plan, we stopped at the viewing platform and didn’t continue up to the top of the waterfall. Going to the top would take another 45 minutes, and I believe the view there would be even more breathtaking.

Sailing through Milford Sound, the greatest shock of this journey came from Stirling Falls.

It is one of the two permanent waterfalls in the fjord, and its 155-meter drop is equivalent to a 50-story building. The water plunges straight down from a glacier-carved horseshoe-shaped hanging valley, crashing directly into the deep waters of the fjord below.

As the cruise slowly approached the base of the waterfall, the captain deliberately steered the boat close to the cliff, allowing us to experience the raw power of nature at point-blank range. Even before we got close, the roar of the water was already deafening. Massive torrents slammed into the sea surface, sending up clouds of white mist that engulfed everything. The icy spray hit our faces, instantly soaking our clothes and hair.

Many people who visit Milford Sound are probably familiar with Bowen Falls, since it's right next to the wharf and you can see it as soon as the cruise departs.

Whangārei Falls is often called one of New Zealand’s most photogenic waterfalls. Located in Whangārei on the North Island, it’s just a 2-minute walk from the car park to the viewing platform. From there, it takes about 15 minutes to walk down to the base of the falls.

We visited in February during summer, so the water flow wasn’t particularly strong. Still, listening to the sound of the waterfall was incredibly refreshing. There’s also a pleasant walking track that follows the forest and river.

The park surrounding the waterfall is a great place for photos and a nice spot to take a break during your trip.

Marokopa Falls in Waitomo, New Zealand’s North Island

This is Marokopa Falls in the Waitomo region of New Zealand’s North Island. The sign says it's a 10-minute walk and 420 metres to the lookout. If you take your time walking, looking around, and taking photos, it will definitely take longer than 10 minutes.

There are a few spots with puddles along the track, with one section being a bit longer, but regular shoes are fine.

The walk is only about 20 minutes, but the scenery along the way is so beautiful that it feels like stepping into a scene from *The Lord of the Rings*. The rainforest is breathtaking, with moss-covered rocks and twisted trees creating an almost dreamlike landscape. Along the track, you'll also see plenty of kōtukutuku trees (New Zealand tree fuchsia).

At the end of the trail is the refreshing McLean Falls. It is the tallest waterfall in the Catlins region, made up of several tiers. After heavy rain, the flow becomes especially powerful, plunging more than 20 metres into the gorge below. It's one of the must-see waterfalls in the Catlins and definitely not to be missed.

The first two waterfalls are easily reached on foot. After that, you can continue up the steps, and finally scramble over some rocks to reach the top. Most of the track is gravel, but the last 5–10 minutes consist of a narrow, uneven trail with rocks, tree roots, and steps. It isn't particularly difficult for the average person.

If you're driving to Parakaunui Falls from the Kaka Point direction, you'll come across a signposted turnoff that doesn't match Google Maps. It's best to follow the road signs, as Google tends to send you along a gravel road and adds quite a bit of extra driving.

Rainbow Reach turned out to be one of the entrances to the Kepler Track. The view in photo three was taken from the suspension bridge, and we saw plenty of hikers passing through.

The trees along the shore of Lake Te Anau are incredibly beautiful. When the sun comes out, the leaves seem to glow with golden light, making the whole lakeside sparkle.

Location: Kitekite Falls Track, Piha (West Auckland, about 40 minutes drive from the city)

A dreamy three-tier waterfall plunging into a lush valley. When you reach the end of the track, it really feels like stepping into a scene from a movie, and kids often react with pure excitement.

Forest, stream, and wooden bridges are all part of the walk. The scenery is immersive the whole way, and it feels more like a nature playground where you can explore and occasionally splash through shallow water.

There's something about Hunua that gets you almost the second you step onto the track. You're maybe forty-five minutes out of the city, past the last of the suburbs and into forest and farmland, and then you park up and the noise just switches off. Green light filtering down through the canopy, wet earth and leaves in the air, birds doing their thing overhead. If you've had a week of concrete and fluorescent lighting, this is about as fast as therapy gets.

It's also, unglamorously, one of the better workouts you'll get without a gym membership. The Cossey-Massey loop barely has a flat metre in it. It's stairs or slope, slope or stairs, the whole way round, and your heart rate goes up and stays up in a way that a treadmill facing a wall never quite manages, because there's always something new to look at instead of a countdown timer.

I've done this one twice now, once as the full loop and once on a shorter, lazier, cloudy-day version, and between the two visits I picked up a few things I wish someone had told me before I went the first time.

Haruru Falls, Waitangi — Worth the Five-Minute Detour

I almost didn't stop here. We'd already done the Waitangi Treaty Grounds that morning and were hungry, and Haruru Falls was just a brown sign on the way to lunch in Paihia. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

We ended up staying almost an hour.

Tutea Falls: Standing Beside the World's Highest Rafted Waterfall

I lost count of the steps on the way down somewhere past forty. Didn't matter, because by then I could already hear it through the trees before I saw a thing. Then the track opened out onto a platform and there it was, seven metres of white water going straight down, close enough that the spray hit the rail I was leaning on.

No photo had prepared me for it. I'd looked at plenty before the trip, and not one of them got across how loud the place actually is, or that cold, restless mist that hits your skin before you even register it's there. You're standing there, water roaring below, having to raise your voice to talk to the person next to you, and you just feel small next to it. This isn't some quiet waterfall you snap a photo of and wander off from. It's got a bit of a temper.

Most waterfalls fall from the top. Tarawera Falls comes straight out of the side of a cliff, like the mountain itself is bleeding water, and you only get to see it if you show up on the right day of the week.

A friend and I drove out on a Saturday with zero backup plan if we'd gotten the day wrong. We hadn't. What followed was close to five hours of walking through some of the most untouched forest I've seen in New Zealand, a swimming stop where the current was slow enough to actually get in, and a final ten minutes where none of that mattered because we were just standing in front of water erupting sideways out of solid rock.

Here's what you need to sort out before you go.