Before arriving in Taupo, I had heard of Huka Falls but wasn’t sure what to expect other than “nice waterfall”. As it turns out, it’s far from any normal waterfall, it’s more like an explosion of a river, and honestly, the colour is unreal. It took me a good hour wandering around the various viewpoint and each view revealed something new about the sheer force of that water.
If you’re ever in Taupo, this one’s easy to visit. It’s free (always a bonus). Here’s what I found.
My Visit to Huka Falls
Huka Falls
About ten minutes out of Taupo town on Huka Falls Road, we pulled into the car park (there’s a lot of parking, and it’s well signposted). It’s obvious a popular spot and this place was no exception. There is a couple of information panels to explain what’s going on and how the geology work.
You can also see the sheer volume of water rushing through here… Around 220,000 litres per second. I cannot picture that in my head, but you sure can feels it when you’re up close.
I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was.
I had seen pictures of it online but nothing prepare you for the colour or the noise. The water is an amazing turquoise that looks like someone has tipped in some paint upstream. It’s got this incredibly narrow rock channel where the Waikato River squeeze through and all that volume hammers through at insane speeds.
You can feel it vibrating through the railing from the main viewing platform. From the viewing platform, you’re just above the falls, near enough to see all of the chaos in detail. The water is boiling white as it foams up continually; The sound of the water is so loud you need to shout to speak with the person beside you.
It’s not a high fall, perhaps ten or fifteen metres, but the force more than make up for the height. I didn’t expect it to be this powerful. The main viewpoint is at the end of a loop around the river through the bush, which includes walking the track downstream.
It’s flat, easy to walk, well maintained with boardwalks in spots.
After passing the falls proper, the river opens up, and while still moving quickly over boulders and rocks, it do calm down a little. On either side, there’s thick bush, which is classic New Zealand native scrub. Because it’s so quiet, I could just make out birdcalls between points where the sound of the river picks back up.
Along the track is a couple of lower viewpoint from which to watch the rapids tumble over the rocks. It’s churning and breaking the whole way down. The water doesn’t really settle, and I spend a while just watching it.
Sounds boring but there’s something hypnotic about all that movement.
Looking back upstream at the full force of the water, the lower viewpoint also give you a different angle on the main drop. As we returned to the car park, we walked past a small coffee stand they’d set up at the entrance. A flat white hit the spot.
It was good and I needed one after all that standing around and walking about in the wind. Nothing fancy, just the usual slices and muffins, but there was some snacks available as well. It was nice to be able to get them without having to return to town first, honestely.
While the hype doesn’t really do justice to why this spot is so awesome, Huka Falls proved to be one of those destinations that is totally worth it. You can stand right next to it. There isn’t a lot of “drama” or “height” like most waterfalls (at least in the traditional sense), but there’s something about it that is just pure power and that crazy color.
If you are visiting Taupo, it’s an easy half day trip and I would definitely recommend going early/late to beat some of the crowds. Have you been to Huka Falls? Is there another waterfall that blew your mind when you went?
You should of seen the way the water moves. It’s much more luxurius than the pictures. The water can absorbs anything in its path.
It’s different than I expected. I’m actually glad I went. It was a moddern experience.
I’m not sure if I should steers towards the main path or the side. The view was better then I thought. I’m not sure if I’ll recieve more photos.
I’m livig for these views. It’s a bit too much to see. I’m comfortabley sitting here.