Monday, October 17, 2011

Walks to Waterfalls: 100 New Zealand Waterfalls

If you are going to take any book with you when you travel around New Zealand, take this one! It highlights a hundred of the best and most accessible waterfalls in New Zealand and includes those close to urban areas, those high in the mountains and deep in the forests.
Below are two examples from the book:
Rainbow Falls and Kerikeri River during heavy rain
An easy paved walkway delivers the visitor from the car park on Rainbow Falls Rd to the upper viewing platforms. Walkers continue past basalt columns down to the far end of the plunge pool. Here or in the cave behind the falls are the best views of this magnificent waterfall. People exploring the cave should, however, be careful of slippery rocks.  During high water it may not be possible to cross the river to the cave.As with many of New Zealand’s rivers, Kerikeri River was exploited for hydroelectric power in the middle years of the 20th century. Lloyd Mandeno designed a weir above Rainbow Falls which diverted much of the water into a canal, delivering it to a powerhouse a few minutes’ walk from Wharepoke Falls. The power station was decommissioned in 1967 and the river, and waterfalls, restored to full volume.

Punehu Falls
The Waipohatu Track is a true New Zealand walking track — undulating, rough and boggy after rain. It leads through the unmilled Waikawa forest to two waterfalls. These waterfalls (Punehu or Misty and Pouriwai or Darkwater) are within a few hundred metres of each other but couldn’t be more different in character. Ironically the upper fall, which is more impressive, does not photograph as well as the lower fall. The track can be walked either as a loop or return, the latter being the better option.

David Bateman Ltd. - $39.99- Note Publication November

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