24km north of Napier (about a 20-25min drive) on state highway 2 is a cute we hike where you can enjoy these beautiful waterfalls. Kid friendly, (but no dogs) the whole loop is about a 4km/1 hour hike. But leave time for swimming and enjoying the view!!
It’s a little bit of a pick-your-own adventure with a couple of options. 1) just the easy hike to Te Ana Falls (20mins each way) or 2) challenge yourself to a steps workout to also visit a viewing platform to see the sights of Tangoio Falls (add another 20-30mins).
We decided to go both, and it was about an hour of moving time (ummm and 38 “flights” of steps). With the drive to and from and from Napier, a little swim/wade at Te Ana Falls, and a nice break at the viewing platform of Tangoio Falls, the adventure took us a good chunk of the morning (but we were back in time for lunch).
The hike to Te Ana Falls was a relatively flat (but likely very muddy and slippery when it’s been raining, which it was in patches despite the summer drought) and enjoyable walk through native New Zealand forest. It starts off over a lovely swing bridge at a spot that would be perfect for freedom camping (but check local by-laws!).
The falls themselves are a classic ‘horsetail’ fall, about 30m high. You can swim in the pool at the bottom, which is nice and refreshing on a hot summers day. We saw a guy head under the falls as well, although he looked very cold afterwards.
For a challenge, just before you reach Te Ana Falls, there is a junction that points the way to the Tangoio Falls lookout. The track is uphill for about 20mins-although it is fairly steep, we saw lots of kids walking it (one girl in a beautiful princess tutu) and Mums carrying babes-all to say it is definitely doable. And the good news is the walk back to the car is all down hill, which is wonderful.
The lookout looks over beautiful forest and the 25m ‘cascade’ fall (with 3 tiers).
Happy Exploring
(& don’t stop chasing those waterfalls)
Xx
Moo-Chelle