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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -38.67292, 176.69432. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 3.2 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
A 1 hour 30 minutes return walk, the Waiatiu Falls Track in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park leads through podocarp forest before reaching the picturesque falls.
This DOC directory entry covers Waiatiu Falls Track in Gisborne, within Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 3.2 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 hr 15 min
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The easy track passes through magnificent podocarp forest to the spectacular falls - remember to take your camera! The viewing point is slippery so care is needed.
It starts at the car park on River Road and continues southwest, crossing a small bridged stream before climbing via a short ridge to a terrace. The track heads south descending and crossing a number of small bridged streams then further south to the bridge Waiatiu Stream.
The track then climbs over a small rise before descending to a viewing platform overlooking the Waiatiu Waterfall at the end of the track.You can visit some of the parks special features and shows off the magnificent 'dinosaur forst', dominated by towering examples of kahikatea, totara, matai, rimu, miro and much tawa.Rare species of bird life include North Island kaka, red and yellow crowned kakariki, robin and kereru.
Getting there
Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is 90 km south-east of Rotorua, off SH 38. The track is reached via Minginui Road, off Te Whaiti Road (old SH 38), then via Old Te Whaiti Road and River Road, to the River Road car park.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
