Waitakere Waterfalls

The Waitakere Ranges, west of Auckland, are steep and bush-clad, and cut up into many small valleys. Their high rainfall results in many waterfalls but, because the catchments are small, so are most of the waterfalls, Kitekite and Karekare being the only permanent ones that approach a respectable size. Waitakere Falls, on the other hand, is genuinely impressive when it is permitted to flow.

References below to 'the map' generally refer to the very good Land Information New Zealand 1:50,000 sheet 'Waitakere' (NZMS 260 sheet Q11 & Pt R11). Unfortunately, this series has been superseded as of 2009 by a totally different series which manages to split the Waitakere Ranges into the corners of four maps, which makes it inconvenient and uneconomic to buy. Fortunately, the maps can be accessed for free at http://www.nztopoonline.linz.govt.nz/.

Toroanui Falls Starting some distance up the coast north of the Waitakeres, at Muriwai, there are two waterfalls on the Okiritoto Stream. Toroanui Falls is on private land, it can be seen across the fields from the edge of publicly accessible land in Woodhill Forest. It appears to be quite a good-sized waterfall, at least from this distance. The map gives its height as 8m (26 feet).
Okiritoto Falls Okiritoto Falls is, according to the map, 200 yards further upstream, but can't be seen from the edge of the forest. However, here's an excellent picture of it (many thanks to Matt and Sandi).
According to the map, this one is 5m (16 feet) high. However, I think that's wrong. It looks far more than that. This picture is a scan from the Hercules episode Resurrection, in which a character jumps off the fall. Assuming the 'stuntie' is five feet tall (which is conservative), the waterfall scales at 30 feet (9m), which seems more like it.
Just for completeness, and since it's on the map... the valley of the Okiritoto Stream curves back round towards the coast (which means the stream is flowing away from the coast). Alongside Taiapa Road is shown a waterfall - which can indeed be seen from the road, though not from the best angle. I'd guess it's maybe ten feet high where it disappears over those rock slabs.
	Mokoroa Falls Just south of Taiapa Road, on the northern fringe of the Waitakere Ranges proper, is the seldom-visited Mokoroa Falls, reached by a walking track off Horseman Road. (It's a mile from the falls mentioned above, but fifteen miles by road - the Waitakeres are mercifully undeveloped as far as connecting roads go). The falls form a horseshoe in conjunction with a very small (but higher) waterfall from a side valley (right of photo). This view from the viewpoint on the walking track. The map gives their height as 11m (35 feet) which looks about right.
	Wainamu Falls The Mokoroa Stream joins the Waitakere River just inland from Bethells Beach. On the southern side of the river, the Waiti Stream flows in, flanked by a stretch of sand dunes. At the upper end of the dunes, the Wainamu Stream joins, flowing down from Lake Wainamu, which is held back by the dunes. Just above the lake are a series of small cascades and falls, of which this is the highest. It seems to have an unusually level crest which distributes the flow evenly - as a result it looks very thin at light flows such as this. It probably looks quite good at moderate flows.
Waitakere Falls And now, the real thing - Waitakere dam and waterfall, seen from Pukematekeo viewpoint above the Scenic Drive. This was after a wet season and prolonged heavy rain, on one of the rare occasions when the dam was full and the fall was allowed to flow. Taken with a long lens on a very overcast day, hence my excuse for the under-exposure. However, under current regulations, the stream and waterfall are now allowed to flow more regularly - which ironically means the chances of a large overflow such as above are reduced. The dam (and waterfall, on the occasions when it's flowing) can be reached by a walking track from the Scenic Drive along the narrow-gauge tramline that was built for the construction of the dam. Follow Anderson Track and West Tunnel Mouth Track to reach the tramline.
Waitakere waterfall, seen from the tramline a quarter mile away. This is the one spot that gives a view of the waterfall, the thick 'bush' (rain forest) screens the view from everywhere else. It may be possible to get a better view from the stream bed, but access is officially forbidden due to the danger of rockfall from the overhanging cliff seen on the left of the photo. The Waitakere Ranges are not very high - nothing over 1500 feet - so I was very surprised to find that this fall is the third highest in North Island, after Wairere Falls (502') and Ananui Falls (345'). Waitakere Falls are shown as 95m on the contour map, and a detailed survey carried out to assess the stability of the cliff makes them 94.5m (310 feet) high.
Taken after rain on a slightly misty day	Kitekite Falls Kitekite Falls lies half a mile up the valley from the head of Glen Esk Road inland from Piha, above the short but steep-sided Kitekite Gorge. The walking tracks to the falls climb up the sides of the valley to avoid the gorge. Recently a small gap has been cleared in the bush to permit a full view of the falls from the approach track. Previously, it was only possible to photograph the fall in several sections (by looking through different gaps in the trees) and try and join the results together. A short but steep walking track, Connect Track, leads up to the top of the falls and on into the network of walking tracks in the upper valley.
Next day in bright afternoon sunshine	Unlike most falls, these are well angled to catch the late afternon sun, at least in summer. A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls says the falls 'plunge 40m (131ft) in three ... leaps' and the accompanying illustration in that book, taken from the foot of the falls, shows only the lower three steps. If the upper falls are taken into account, the total is certainly higher than that. The uppermost fall, by direct measurement, is 4.5m for the just-distinguishable step at the top and 15.8m for the main drop. That's 20.3m or 67 feet. Scaling off the photo (and allowing as best I can for perspective and the relative distances of each step from the camera), I'd make the second step (the cascade) 17m, and the three lower steps 11m, 18m and 18m respectively. That would give a total height of 84m or 275 feet.
	The top of the falls is the site of a 'driving dam'. A timber dam was built and, when filled, it was tripped to release the impounded lake with its quota of floating kauri logs down to the mill. The photo is taken from an information board on the track; the accompanying text states that this was only tried once, the logs were so damaged on the rocks below that it was never repeated. Thereafter the dam was used only to float logs in the stream below the falls.
	50 yards below the main falls, the stream drops into the narrow, sheer-sided little Kitekite Gorge. This lower fall can be seen from the top, but not from below unless you wish to scramble up the gorge itself from the bottom end (as I did for this photo). There is a piece of tree stump that looks big enough to be kauri, jammed in the narrow cleft at the foot of the fall - if so, it must be at least 80 years old. This caused me one of the spookiest moments of my life. As you can see, the gorge is sheer sided, with only one way in - the way I had come - and nowhere to hide. I was absolutely alone. I lined up the camera, took my photo, and then as I looked at the result in the LCD screen I could feel the hairs creeping up on the back of my neck because there in the picture was a man standing looking up at the fall. I looked up and - there was nobody there. You can 'see' him clearly in the thumbnail at the left. It was an illusion caused by light and shadow, reflections and the big kauri stump, but very convincing - it's easier to see the reality in the full-size photo. This fall - measured with a piece of string from the top - is, to a best estimate, 41 feet (12.5m) high.
Karekare Falls The next valley south of Piha is Karekare, site of the other notable Waitakere waterfall. The falls are just a half mile up the valley from the beach, and it is just a short walk from the road down the track to the foot of the falls themselves. The upper fall can't be seen from the flat landing at their foot. A Guide to NZ Waterfalls quotes them as 25m (82') high, excluding (apparently) the small upper fall.
This was taken from the road after heavy rain when there was much more water in the falls than usual, and on another overcast day (under-exposed again...)
And this was taken from Cave Rock Track, high up on the opposite side of the valley. Those dots in the waterfall pool are people, wading.
3/4 of a kilometre (half a mile) above the Karekare fall on the Company Stream, is this series of small falls...
... which culminate at the top in this quite respectable little fall, with a good-sized pool.
	Pararaha The next valley south of Karekare is the Pararaha valley. I've seen it described as 'remote' in the guidebooks, possibly because there's no road access, but on a sunny Sunday I've encountered four or five groups of adventurers enjoying their 'wilderness experience' - busier than most of the tracks nearer civilisation. The 'Pararaha Valley Route' (it doesn't qualify as a track) extends about two miles, from where Odlins Track crosses the stream, down to Muir Track, half a mile inland from the coastal swamps. This section takes at least two hours and involves some difficult route-finding and tricky scrambling where sections of track climb over outcrops up the sheer valley side. Caution: Don't start the Pararaha section late in the afternoon as the route is far from obvious and impossible to find in the dark. Half a mile before the lower end, the stream starts to cut its way down into a short narrow gorge. A series of small cascades start, among which is this small twin waterfall. It is a true fall, the water springs free of the rock face, and the total drop is about 6m (20 feet). The avoiding track climbs high up the hillside on the left of the photo, with some disconcertingly near-vertical sections; or wade/swim through the pool.
	A little further down is this, the tallest of the cascades. It has a large pool, often used for swimming, above it, and one at its foot too.
	Below this cascade, the stream falls through several small drops into a short narrow little gorge best negotiated by clambering over the huge kauri tree trunks permanently jammed in it. The cascade can be seen at the top of the photo on left. Below the gorge, the stream flattens out and runs tamely down to Muir Track and the swamps at the back of the beach.
	From the sandy track across the swamps, this ephemeral waterfall can be seen to the north, when it's flowing (which, in summer, is not often). It's on the Waihuna Stream, which has a very small catchment - a pity, since it would be quite spectacular with a bigger flow. Allowing for part of the lower fall being obscured by vegetation, and scaling off the pungas - tree ferns - at its base, the lower fall appears to be about 8m high. This is a pretty rough estimate, obviously. (Mature tree ferns in this area measure, quite consistently, just over 4m across).
	Cowan Stream Near the top of the 'Pararaha Valley Route', a small stream quietly enters from a side valley. Appearances are deceptive, this stream has possibly the best series of waterfalls of any in the ranges. Most people seem to start at the top and head downstream, and so will we.
	Crossing the Pararaha Stream on Odlins Timber Track and climbing up a stiff hill, one comes to the crossing of Cowan Stream. Heading downstream from there, small waterfalls begin almost at once. Most of these are only four or five feet high, but they fall into nice deep large pools.
	Probably for this reason, the stream is popular for 'canyoning', though the term is a misnomer - nowhere do the valley sides close in to force you into the stream. In fact this stream is odd in that respect - there's an easy stream-side track all the way down it. Most of the streams that have the energy to create waterfalls have also cut little gorges for themselves, but not this one.
	And another little cascade...
	Then we come to a drop in the valley, with this quite impressive cascade in two steps. So far as I can measure, the upper step is 33 feet (10.2m) high, and the wide lower cascade is 21 feet (6.5m) high.
	A few yards further on is this cascade, again in two steps, the upper one is 15 feet (4 1/2m) high and the lower, 26 feet (8m) high. All these heights are fairly approximate, being measured with a length of string with a piece of wood tied on the end. The difficulties of getting a near-enough-vertical drop, and judging when the wood has reached the out-of-sight pool below, without it getting caught up, or sliding over the edge oneself, are considerable.
	And this is the second big drop in the valley floor, again in two steps. The first is a true waterfall, 26 feet (7.8m) in one sheer drop to the deep pool.
	And after a couple more small steps, the second is another wide sloping cascade, 44 feet (13.5m) high so far as I can measure it. You can just see the upper fall in the background above it. There's another 5-foot step below this one, too.
	And below this is just one more fall, in three steps, 10 feet (3m), 5 feet (1.5m), and a bottom step (out of sight behind the camera) of 9 feet (2.7 m). Below this the track follows the stream to the Pararaha, from where it's just an easy few hundred yards upstream to reach Odlins Track again; or (much more difficult) head downstream on the Pararaha Valley Route (but see the caution in the section above).
Nihotupu waterfalls There are a number of un-named cascades and falls on the Nihotupu stream just above the lake of the Upper Nihotupu Dam, which can be seen from the track which runs down from Piha Road to cross the stream just above the the lake. This is the uppermost one.
Just below the bridge across the stream is this cascade. There's a concrete gauging weir at the top (just visible in the photo),
... and below the pool the stream runs down a curious narrow deep cut in the rock that might almost be artificial ...
to emerge high up the side wall of the valley above the head of the dam lake. The main fall is 12m high to the top of the mossy hump (scaling off a convenient tourist of known height, out of shot on the beach to the right). There is also a waterfall below the dam which, like Waitakere Falls, hardly ever flows, for the same reasons.
And this is after some brief but heavy rain. They say the Niho dam fills very quickly, this stream is the reason.
	Fairy Falls On the eastern side of the ranges, reached by a walking track off the Scenic Drive, is Fairy Falls. It's actually a cascade of quite respectable extent, the contour map suggests at least 60m (200 feet) total height, though mostly in small steps, and it would benefit from a bit more flow (though my earlier description of it as a 'miserable trickle' was possibly a little harsh). The ranges generally slope to the west so catchments on this eastern side are small. Whether it justifies the half-hour walk from the Scenic Drive depends on how much you like walking through the bush; and whether it justifies the the huge direction sign erected on the Scenic Drive by some officious bumpkin (probably a cousin of the one who has defaced the Scenic Drive with hideous yellow traffic warning signs every 50 yards) depends, I suppose, on how much you like visual pollution. </rant > The path crosses the 'falls' half-way up their height; this is the upper half of the cascade, seen from the path.
	And this is the lower, steeper cascade; the flow appears to have spread itself a bit thin on the rock face. The path crossing can be seen at the top of the cliff. It might be worth the hike after some good heavy rain to see it in better condition.
Karamatura Towards the southern end of the Waitakeres, surrounded by some of the highest hills in the ranges, is the Karamatura valley. The Karamatura Stream has, according to the map, a number of falls on it, of which this is the furthest downstream and most accessible. The catchment isn't very large, so the stream is correspondingly small, though like all these streams it can get much bigger when in flood.
	Last (and definitely least...) And this is a joke, though I'm not sure by who or on whom. It is undeniably a waterfall, technically anyway. It's on the Esk Stream, a mile above Kitekite Falls, and it is actually marked on the latest edition of the survey map. So I went looking for it, even though I knew it couldn't be very high. I walked up the Kauri Grove Track which parallels the stream, listening intently for the roar of falling water - nothing. So I started from a ford higher up (on Lucy Cranwell Track) and made my way down the stream through thick bush, cautiously so as not to risk slipping and going over the fall should I come on it unexpectedly. As it turns out this might not have caused much damage. It's all of four feet high. The waves on Piha Beach that day were higher... I think the joke was on me.