The south island of New Zealand is filled with epic waterfalls dotted around the island. Some require some kind of hiking effort, others can only be seen from a boat or up in the air. Those of course are great options but I think we can all agree that sometimes when we’re traveling around, we really just want the best ‘bang for our buck’. The ‘easy to see’ things. A high epic to effort ratio.
Luckily, New Zealand is epic in all ways and treats us to sites like beautiful waterfalls just off the road or an easy 5-10 minute walk in. You won’t even work up a sweat and it leaves you time to fit more into your travels.
I’ve put together a short and sweet list of waterfalls on the south island. You’ll definitely want to pop these onto your itinerary the next time you’re traveling around! for your next trip s
Purakaunui Falls- That Catlins
Talking ‘bang for your buck’ I think this one takes it. It’s a bit longer to get to, a whopping 10-minute walk which is flat pretty much the entire way leading to a 3-tiered cascading waterfall. Purakaunui Falls are located in the Catlins and are easily the most popular and most photographed. And as you can see, for good reason.
If you’re making your way up or down the east coast but may not have too much time or the ability to stop at every waterfall (there are more in the Catlins), I highly suggest taking time for this one especially if it’s raining or there’s been a rainfall.
How to get there:
If you’re traveling south on SH1, turn left onto the scenic Chaslands Highway for 43 km. Turn left onto Waikoato Valley Road at the Purakaunui Falls sign then turn left again onto Purakaunui Falls Road. There is a large parking lot, toilets and picnic tables.
devils punchbowl- Arthurs Pass National Park
The Devil’s punchbowl is a 131-meter waterfall that can be seen right from the road in the township of Arthurs Pass. The best view is from the viewing platform, a 20-minute walk in from the car park. Most of it is going up stars so if that’s not for you or you’re short on time you can still get a good peak at it from afar.
How to get there
There is a signposted at the northern end of the Arthurs Pass village (highway 73) to turn off for the Devil’s Punchbowl car park.
Dorothy Falls- Lake Kaniere/West Coast
I randomly stumbled upon Dorothy Falls while exploring near Hokitika. If you don’t know about these falls and aren’t the type to just drive and see where it takes you, you’d probably miss them. If you are though, these falls can be seen right from the road on the shores of Lake Kaniere. A small but pretty little waterfall and about a 2 minute walk to get right to the base.
Most of the road to the falls is sealed except for the last 4 kilometers. It is a bit of a detour being a half-hour drive from the town of Hokitika but you can continue along the road to make your way to the Hokitika Gorge.
How to get there.
From Hokitika travel east on Lake Kaniere Rd for 18 km until you reach the lake. Once at the lake, Here, turn left and follow the road along the lake for almost 7 km. There’s a small car park across from the waterfall which can be seen from the road. Cross the road from the car park and a short path takes you right to it.
Fantail Falls- Haast
Falling into the Haast River, Fantail Falls is really easy to get to. It’s only a 2-minute walk from the car park off the Haast Highway. These falls are well marked so it would be hard to miss them. The waterfall is on the other side of the river but it is not necessary to cross it.
At 23 meters high and segmented, Fantail Falls is beautiful to look at and makes for a great spot to stop, especially in summer. Of course they’re best after a rain but if there’s hasn’t beeb too much water you’ll be able to walk across the river to the base of the falls.
How to get there
Signposted on Highway 6, Makarora – Haast Highway between Haast and Makaroa
Thundercreek Falls- Haast
Another super easy waterfall to get to is Thundercreek Falls. You can even see part of it from the highway. This one is also located on the Haast Highway and only 4 minutes away from Fantail Falls. There is a short track that leads to a lookout to the falls but there is an option to go right down to the river bed. Thundercreek Falls stands at 96 meters and certainly is a must-see!
How to get there:
Signposted on Highway 6, Makarora – Haast Highway between Haast and Makaroa
milford sound
I had to include Milford Sound in this list because in a good rain, it is just spectacular! There isn’t a particular name for these falls as they come and go with the amount or rain that the area gets. Given that most of the weather at Milford Sound is rainy, you’ll likely get to see the water plunge down the mountainside. Although wet weather can be a pain, in this instance, the rain absolutely makes Milford Sound come alive.
The image above is from just coming out of Homer Tunnel. On the particular day that I went, it had been raining quite a bit and it was a 360 degree view of waterfalls! For a better idea because this photo does NOT do it justice, check out this video on Instagram I made!