Tarawera Falls

The Tarawera Falls is a waterfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand. You are the outflow of Lake Tarawera. The waterfall originates in the middle of a cliff, as the river front of the waterfall runs underground. Near the upper edge of the falls, the river disappears into a cave of volcanic origin.

The drop height is 60 meters. The shape of the waterfall is highly dependent on rainfall. In strong inflow, the water accumulates in the underground inflow, so that increasingly higher outflows are supplied with water.

The parking lot at the Falls can be reached from the town of Kawerau over a 45-minute ride on unpaved roads. The area is part of the nature reserve Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve, a driveway is except for forest fire danger possible, but with costs. A 20 minute walk along a good path leads from here through the forest to the waterfall.