Wainui Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wainui Falls |
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Wainui Falls in December 2017
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 Wainui Falls
Location in New Zealand
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| Location | Wainui Bay, Tasman, New Zealand. |
| Coordinates | 40°50′57″S 172°55′40″E / 40.84924°S 172.92765°E |
| Type | Horsetail |
| Total height | 20 metres (66 ft) |
| Watercourse | Wainui River |
Wainui Falls is a beautiful waterfall in Wainui Bay, New Zealand. It is about 20-metre (66 ft) tall. The waterfall is part of the Wainui River. Its water flows over hard granite rock into a deep pool below.
Wainui Falls is the biggest and easiest waterfall to visit in the Abel Tasman National Park. It is also a popular spot in the wider Nelson-Golden Bay area. You can reach it by walking on the short Wainui Falls Track. Many people enjoy this walk. In summer, the pool at the bottom of the falls is a favorite place for swimming.
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Finding Wainui Falls
The waterfall is located in the Abel Tasman National Park. It sits in a valley above Wainui Bay. The closest town is Takaka, which is about a 20-kilometre (12 mi) drive away. The city of Nelson is further, about 2.5 hours by car.
Walking the Wainui Falls Track
You can reach Wainui Falls by walking the Wainui Falls Track. This walk is 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long in total (there and back). It follows the Wainui River up to the waterfall.
You start the walk from a carpark at the end of Wainui Falls Road. This road is about 300 m (980 ft) from the main road (Abel Tasman Drive). At the carpark, you can find a cafe and toilets. The whole walk usually takes about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Exploring the Forest Path
The path winds through a native forest. You will see many ferns, nikau palms, and rata trees. Keep an eye out for giant carnivorous land snails called Powelliphanta. These are some of the biggest land snails in the world! They sometimes hide on the forest floor near the track.
People have been visiting Wainui Falls for a long time. It was a popular sight even in the early 1900s. Back then, the track was very steep. It was common for walkers to accidentally fall into the river!
New Bridge and Track Upgrades
In 2015, the track was closed for several months for important work. The path was made better, and a new suspension bridge was built. The old bridge only allowed one person to cross at a time. This caused long waits during busy summer days. The new bridge can hold up to 10 people at once.
The bridge crosses the Wainui River. Below it, you can see large granite rocks and logs. These logs pile up after big floods in winter. Some local people felt the track lost a bit of its old charm. But they also agreed that the new track is much safer and easier for everyone to enjoy. The Department of Conservation in New Zealand takes care of the track.
Wainui Falls in Māori Stories
The local Māori of Takaka have a special story about Wainui Falls. In their mythology, a water guardian called Ngarara Huarau caused trouble for a village. The villagers eventually fought and killed the monster.
The story says that when the taniwha (water guardian) died, its severed tail landed in the pool at the bottom of Wainui Falls. The rocks downstream from the falls have a rusty red-brown color. The story explains this color as blood seeping from the monster's tail.
Images for kids
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People visiting Wainui Falls in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
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People by the Wainui River and a small waterfall (not Wainui Falls) in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
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The falls with lots of water flowing, 2015.
