There’s no denying the appeal of the thundering, cascading spray of a backcountry waterfall.

Cascading water whipped to white spray, the thundering pulse of falling water, an exhilarating swim in a pool beneath – and no one, not a soul around. That’s the call of a backcountry waterfall.

Aotearoa’s crumpled terrain has many waterfalls. They tumble through gorges, spill over bluffs, disgorge over lava flows and fall over fault scarps. Here are six notable waterfalls to visit this summer.

1 Mangaturuturu Valley falls 

Tongariro National Park

There are countless falls around Mt Ruapehu. Although none are particularly high, they tumble over old lava flows and bluffs, or cascade through ravines. Even the celebrated Taranaki Falls just top 20m, so it’s perhaps surprising that the highest falls in the park (in the headwaters of the Mangaturuturu River) remain unnamed. Reaching them requires some off-track navigation from the superbly positioned Mangaturuturu Hut. First, tramp into the hut from Ohakune Mountain Road (2hr), passing the creamy-coloured ‘cascades’ en route. From the hut, continue up the Mangaturuturu River for an hour or so on easy flats, sticking to the true left. The last section climbs among bluffs into a hidden basin where the 56m falls spill over an old lava flow. 

2 Korokoro Falls

Te Urewera

This waterfall can lay claim to being among the most beautiful in the country, even though only 22m high. Spilling in an almost-perfect curtain, the cascade ends in a rocky basin surrounded by verdant Te Urewera rainforest. It is reached on a 40-minute sidetrack beginning near the Korokoro Campsite on the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk.

3 Travers Falls 

Nelson Lakes National Park

Trampers tackling the popular week-long Travers–Sabine Circuit can visit Travers falls on the section between John Tait and Upper Travers huts. The 15m falls are reached via a short but steep sidetrack and spill like a flowing skirt into a sizeable pool. Swimming is possible but the water is always cold – even in the height of summer. 

4 Wairere Falls 

Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park

The Waikato’s highest waterfall plunges over the escarpment that forms the western flanks of the Kaimai Range. From Goodwin Road, near Waharoa, a good track climbs beside the Wairere Stream, gently at first, with several footbridges en route. Higher up the track ascends a series of staircases to reach a viewing platform below the 153m falls. A rougher track continues to the top of the falls. Allow 1.5hr return to the platform, 4hr return to the top of the falls. 

5 Hidden Falls, Hollyford Track 

Fiordland National Park

At 31m Hidden Falls is not huge, but it makes up for this with impressive volume and an attractive location. Hidden Falls Creek drains part of the Olivine Wilderness and, typical of many Otago creeks, plunges through a gorge in its lower reaches with the falls at the lower end. They are seen from a footbridge on the first day of the Hollyford Track, about 30 minutes before Hidden Falls Hut is reached. Allow 4–5hr return to the falls.

6 Belltopper Falls

Rakiura National Park

These are remote, inaccessible and spectacular falls known to Māori as Horowai, but early Europeans visiting Port Pegasus called them Belltopper Falls. While miner William Todd was showing visitors the area, his silk ‘belltopper’ hat fell into the stream. The falls can be seen from the North Arm of Port Pegasus, accessible only by boat or kayak. Some daring trampers have carried a packraft over the Tin Range and visited the falls by that means.