Whangarei Falls

WHANGAREI'S BEST ATTRACTION

27 AUGUST 2022

Whangarei Falls is 26 meters tall and dwarfs anyone near it

An Easy And Beautiful Walk To The Falls

When we set out on the Whangarei waterfall walk, we were absolutely NOT expecting to see such an epic waterfall... it was truly breathtaking! With a nice brisk walk you'll arrive at one of NZ's best waterfalls in approximately 20- 30 minutes

We were on a walk at the A H Reed Kauri Park (more about that later in the blog) and visiting the Whangarei Falls was actually on our list to do after the A H walk and we didn't actually realise that it all linked up, so it was a big win win for us! (The Abbey Caves are near here too).

This walk is a nice and easy flat walking track which comprises mainly of gravel walkways with the occasional concrete path, surrounded by amazing scenic views and bush all while following alongside the Hatea River. The river is such a beautiful colour with some parts a milky green colour which is due to the dissolved calcium and magnesium carbonates from the limestone rock in and around the river.

Whangarei Falls is a staggering 26.3m high and also comes fully equip with a viewing platform from the top which is a 5-minute walk from the base of the waterfall.

The track has large trees surrounding it

Sienna making wishes with a dandelion

Halfway along the track there are rope swings so you can swing and jump into the river

Rope Swings

Halfway along the track, you’ll come across a couple of swings which are attached to a huge tree overhanging the Hatea River - perfect to cool down on a hot summer's day. On the same tree you will see a small wooden ladder (which is really just bits of wood nailed to the tree that act as a ladder) to help you climb the tree so you can do you belly flops into the water. We skipped the swim that day, but we can only imagine how packed it must get during summer.

By the swing, there was this one little duck that when it saw us, came rushing over to us at high speeds in the water. I can only imagine underneath the surface as it looked super calm above the surface but its little legs must of been going a million miles an hour under the surface!

The track has one swing bridge along the way

We think that going when the sun is setting is one of the best times to visit because of the way the light hits everything

Lath, Bella and Sienna

Swing Bridge Fun

We found a really cool swing bridge, which took us waaaay back to our epic South Island trip where we hiked the Hooker Valley Track and it has 3 huge swing bridges. So that was our second experience with swing bridges - at least this one wasn't as high as the others in Mt Cook, it was just a small bridge.

Of course we ran across it didn't we (cheeky little people we are) and it's kinda hard not to as it's so much fun watching the person in front of you trying to keep their balance.

As we were nearing the waterfall, the sun was just starting to drop, casting this beautiful golden light down into the area which looked amazing with the mist coming off the waterfall and the green moss on the rocks - it seriously was a beautiful and magical place.

One of the best spots for an incredible view!

There weren't many people at the waterfall so we were lucky

Set up the tripod, take the wireless remote, get into spot and say cheeeeeeese (at the waterfall)

It's Not Often We All Say WOW!

When we turned the final corner to reach the waterfall we were in absolute awe! We had seen pictures online of the waterfall but honestly it is sooo much more beautiful in person and there was so much water in the river that the roar was pretty loud. In summer when there's not as much rainfall, it might not be as epic, but it will still be beautiful. Capturing the bridge, the trees and the waterfall all together just makes your heart skip a beat. It truly was amazing. As we got within 20m or so, we started to feel the mist on our face. It's really refreshing after you have been walking buuuut once you've been near it for a while it can start to get annoying on your face and chill you down!

The girls don't often say WOOOOOW but they certainly did when they saw the falls! You know it's gotta be amazing when they say wow.

We wanted to stay here forever, it was just so incredibly beautiful and one of the best waterfalls we have seen so far. We had already spent a couple of hours walking around the Whangarei Quarry Gardens and sometime around the A H Reed Kauri Park, so we were a little tired after such a big day and the sun was starting to set so we had to get back for dinner. It would be an epic spot for a picnic lunch or dinner! The path is not lit, so if you are going to be walking back in the dark you will definitely need a torch.

As we were leaving, I looked back and saw a family sitting on the grass with the waterfall in the background and the tree to the left and I realised how epic that looked and I reeeeally wanted a photo of us in the same spot. So we set up my phone on the tripod while we waited for the family to leave. It took forever to get a good shot because at first we had it on a timer of 10 seconds and I had to click go then run to get into the right spot... which wasn't easy trying to jump over tree roots without tripping and the kids wandering off. Then Lath remembered about the wireless remote attached to the tripod, so we hooked that up to my phone and tried it but it kept cutting out and we kept running back to the phone. By this point the kids were getting annoyed but we finally got the shot! Phew!

We were absolutely kicking ourselves as we only took our GoPro and our mobile phones with us for photos and videos. Our DSLR camera would have been epic as we could have slowed the shutter speed, adjusted our ISO and played with the aperture a bit to set the scene for even better pictures. Also, the time of day was stunning as the sun was dropping. Next time for sure!

View from the bridge

View looking back from the bridge

Bella found a colourful painted rock in an old tree trunk, that was made into a fairy door

A.H Reed Kauri Park

The A.H. Reed Kauri Park is like a secret tree-topia where the kauri trees reign supreme. It was founded by the legendary A.H Reed who was basically a tree whisperer and wrote books and articles on how to properly appreciate these majestic beings. He also promoted the idea of conservation and ecotourism in the area to protect the kauri trees from being logged to extinction.

There are multiple tracks in the forest as it covers an area of about 25 hectares and is home for native New Zealand birds, trees and plants. We really enjoyed our walk through the forest - it was flat and easy (just gotta watch out for those creepy tree roots trying to catch your feet!) and we especially enjoyed the canopy bridge!

The canopy bridge at the A.H Reed Kauri Park

View from the canopy bridge

Know Before You Go

There is plenty of free parking
There are nice public toilets before you start your walk (wheelchair friendly)
There is a big sign at the river saying no jumping into the river and no swimming, but it definitely gets packed in summer!
Do NOT forget your camera!
The path is flat and would be ok for prams
Take something comfy and waterproof to sit on as the ground can be wet from the waterfall mist
Allow 1 hour return (or more if you're like us and stop every 2 minutes to take photos or explore!)

Mappy McMap Face

Getting There

The Whangarei Falls are located 5 minutes from central Whangarei.

Car parking is available at Mair Park, Whareora Road, the A H Reed Park, Town Basin, and Whangarei Falls. We parked at the A H Reed Park carpark and it took us around 1 hour return to get to the falls.

Conclusion

If we were asked to sum up this walk it would really come down to this - “why on earth haven't we visited more waterfalls sooner?”. Our adventures lately have mainly been about beaches, parks and epic walks, not so much about waterfalls, but oh boy we are going to be seeking out more waterfalls without a doubt.

If you're after a cruisy walk that's not challenging and scenic the whole way along, you won't be disappointed with Whangarei Falls.