Jess is a Wanderer tramped out to Wairere Falls and despite there not being a lot of water, it was still an impressive trail and a worthwhile jaunt through the New Zealand bush.

The trail begins in a carpark which has a bathroom at the start, if you’re like me and always need to pee after being in the car! It’s a 5km round trip to the lookout point which is quite steep and passes rocks, rainforest-like-bush, streams, bridges and mini-falls before the main event appears in front of you. Sadly, there really wasn’t a lot of water but that didn’t dampen the experience… literally ?

From the lookout, you have the option to do a 3km round trip to the top of the falls. It is absolutely worth it, even though it’s a challenging clumn taking a further 45 minutes each way. It was especially extra challenging for me as Beth opted to stay at the lookout, offering to watch my bag but only for ONE HOUR!! That meant I had to get up to the top, take my pics and arrive back at the lookout in sixty minutes before she left, leaving the bag behind. I’m now sure how it happened but I managed the whole thing in fifty minutes. There’s a video of my post-excursion heart attack for proof if you’d like to see that!

Because there was no water, I was able to stand right out on the edge of the drop of the waterfall. The view was amazing and it was a great experience as I’m sure that in winter, you’d never be able to get that close to the water. 

Here are the pics!