The Catlins region of New Zealand is one of the most underrated in the whole country. You can find rugged coastline, mystical forests, and best of all, amazing waterfalls! Since Ben and I came back from our road trip last week, I’ve decided to put together this guide to the best waterfalls in the Catlins. Some are popular, some are more obscure, but all of them are worth visiting.
We did our Catlins road trip from north to south, so that’s the order these waterfalls will be listed in. Enjoy!
Best waterfalls in the Catlins
Purakaunui Falls
Purakaunui Falls is a wide, 3-tiered waterfall measuring 10 m (33 ft) tall. The 20-minute return walk is easy and passes through a lovely, lush rainforest. Along the way, you’ll pass over a cool bridge and follow a river until you make it to the waterfall viewing platform. There are also a few spots near the rocks to the left of the platform where you can climb and get a better view.
How to get to Purakaunui Falls
Purakaunui Falls is located 6.3 km (4 mi) from the town of Owaka. Whether you’re driving north to south (from Dunedin) or south to north (from Invercargill), I’d recommend taking Purakaunui Falls Road. Although it might look faster to take Waikoato Valley Road or Puaho Road, both of them are narrow, winding gravel roads that take longer to drive. Purakaunui Falls Road and the Southern Scenic Route highway are paved and won’t make your car as dusty.
The carpark itself is pretty large and has public toilets available.
Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls
The Matai Falls walk actually encompasses two separate waterfalls a few minutes apart: Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls. To reach the falls, you take an easy 30-minute return walk through the lush Catlins Forest Park. On your way down the track, you can also take a detour to see a part of the historic Otago Rail Trail, which intersects with the Matai and Horseshoe Falls walk.
The falls themselves are probably some of the less interesting waterfalls in the Catlins. They looked a bit skimpy on the day we saw them, but I’d still recommend visiting because you basically get two waterfalls for the price of one.
How to get to Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls
The Matai Falls walk is easy to get to as it’s located right off of the main highway halfway between Owaka and Papatowai. You’ll see a standard DOC sign and a small parking bay with room for several cars.
McLean Falls
McLean Falls is the largest and most popular waterfall in the Catlins. Standing 22 m (72 ft) tall, this waterfall was named after Alexander McLean, a farmer that loved to bring people on trips here in the early 1900s (before it was easily accessible).
The 40-minute return walk to the falls is pretty easy and goes through some lush green forest. The waterfall itself is really amazing since it spans several levels. We reached the bottom and thought that was it until we kept climbing up and around. It’s really impressive and definitely earns itself the spot as the Catlins’ most popular waterfall.
It’s also possible to make it to the top level of McLean Falls by walking past the viewpoint. You’ll need to climb over some rocks, which can be slippery, so be very careful!
How to get to McLean Falls
The McLean Falls track is located off of the Chaslands Highway. You’ll need to pass the Whistling Frog holiday park and follow Newcastle Road for about 3 km (2 mi). Side note: I’d highly recommend the Whistling Frog if you need somewhere to stay nearby. It’s expensive, but they have the only wifi in the area and their restaurant makes one of the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had in my life (the perfect post-waterfall meal!).
Koropuku Falls
The Koropuku Falls walk ended up being my favorite activity in the Catlins — do not miss this one!
The only word I can use to describe this track is magical. It’s a 30-minute return walk through dense tropical forest (although it took us longer because I was oohing and ahhing at everything). We experienced everything we could possibly ask for on a forest walk: beautiful birdsong, lush plants, colorful mushrooms, and fun, winding paths over different terrain. Plus, we didn’t experience a single other person while we were there!
The Koropuku Falls walk is not actually an official Department of Conservation-maintained track. Despite being an unofficial walk, the track itself was relatively well-maintained. It does get a bit narrow at times and you’ll need to duck under a few branches, but that’s what makes it more fun!
How to get to Koropuku Falls
To get here, look out for a small sign on the side of the road (about 24 km / 15 mi from Papatowai and 26 km / 16 mi from Tokanui — it’s easiest just to pop it in Google Maps as it’s not obvious at all). The parking bay is pretty small and has room for about 3 or 4 cars.
Niagara Falls
I’ve decided to include Niagara Falls on this list because I found it absolutely hilarious.
As the story goes, the surveyor that named these (tiny, unimpressive) falls decided to name them after visiting the real Niagara Falls in North America. He clearly had a pretty good sense of humor, as New Zealand’s Niagara Falls could barely be described as more than a trickle.
Don’t let the poor ratings on Google Maps deter you (those people must be lots of fun at parties). The area around the falls is actually quite nice, with wooden viewing platforms near the water. We even found some juicy blackberries growing close to the surrounding path. Moral of the story: always give in to lame jokes, you might get a good snack out of it!
How to get to Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is very accessible off the main highway and is just steps away from the road. Because of its close proximity (and chance of finding blackberries), I’d say it’s worth a quick stop just for the lulz.
More to do in the Catlins
⇉ Nugget Point: All About the Coolest Lighthouse in the Catlins
⇉ Cathedral Caves: A Catlins, New Zealand Must-See
⇉ Catlins Road Trip Itinerary: 4 Days in New Zealand’s Most Underrated Region
Thanks for reading this guide to the best waterfalls in the Catlins!
xoxo Niki
