Fairy Falls
Fairy Falls
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4.0
51 reviews
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21
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4
Eduan K
Amsterdam, The Netherlands104 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
Awesome 30-40 minute hike to fairy falls from the 'Scenic drive car park'.
Great scenery and beautiful waterfall!
However, when we got back to our vehicle our passenger window was broken. "They" had broken into our vehicle and stole 3 backpacks, my Tom Tom runners watch and a mobile phone. 2 Other vehicles was also broken into (one lady's passport was stolen... suppose to fly out of NZ in 3 days.. what a hassle).
Great scenery and beautiful waterfall!
However, when we got back to our vehicle our passenger window was broken. "They" had broken into our vehicle and stole 3 backpacks, my Tom Tom runners watch and a mobile phone. 2 Other vehicles was also broken into (one lady's passport was stolen... suppose to fly out of NZ in 3 days.. what a hassle).
Written 15 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pandapop01
Edinburgh, UK20 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
There are signs up at the carpark on Scenic Drive advising you to store all valuables out of sight in your car, and these warnings should definitely be heeded. Upon returning to the carpark after walking to the Fairy Falls we saw at least six piles of glass on the ground from broken car windows, and the only remaining car in the carpark besides ours had been broken into. Luckily our car had not been targeted as we had left no personal belongings in it. As we got ready to leave, someone drove up to the carpark, slowed down to have a good look around and then sped off when he noticed the two of us sitting in our car. When we drove past the other carpark for the Fairy Falls on Mountain Road, the only car there had also been broken into with its front passenger window smashed in. It's therefore safe to assume that the thieves drive around targeting the cars in the brief periods when there is no one around. Do not leave any valuables/personal belongings on display in your car!
NB: The Fairy Falls themselves are very nice. Quite a difficult walk back to the carpark afterwards as it is all uphill and there are a lot of steps to climb. Some areas of the path are not well maintained and many of the steps are quite deep, so I do not recommend this walk for anyone with mobility problems.
NB: The Fairy Falls themselves are very nice. Quite a difficult walk back to the carpark afterwards as it is all uphill and there are a lot of steps to climb. Some areas of the path are not well maintained and many of the steps are quite deep, so I do not recommend this walk for anyone with mobility problems.
Written 28 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jo M
London, UK2,135 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
There is only one track leading to the waterfall - Fairy Falls Track - and how difficult the walk is depends on where you join that track. If you start at Scenic Dr, the track is very well maintained (often decked) and is a less than one hour return walk. If, like us, you park on Mountain Rd, the track is more natural, and involves a couple of river crossings (90mins to 2 hours all in). We saw families with kids walking the way we did. We parked in a pull-in next to a sign on Mountain Rd, and hiked down to the lowest point if the falls and back up again. The walk is reasonably challenging on the way back (uphill stretches and steps), but not for those who are hiking-fit. The descent was easy and afforded wonderful views of forest, and a soundtrack of Tui (parson birds, with their eerie metallic calls). Our first view of the falls was from the bottom: they were of a decent height (15m) and attractive (water passing over foliage, etc.) although I suspect they look more dramatic after decent rain (we went in Feb 2013). We spotted long-finned eels in the pool at the bottom when we were sitting with our feet dangling in, and got some pictures. We climbed up the side of the falls to a ledge and looked down at the pool etc. You could swim, but we didn't. The walk back up followed the waterfall through its various tiers, passing a majestic stand of Kauri trees, and treating us to some more eel sightings. We ascended to the top of the falls and then retraced our steps to the car. I'd recommend decent shoes for crossing the river (slippery rocks), and take water to drink. Nice way to spend a couple of hours, although it is basically a lovely walk through trees with a waterfall at the end.
Written 5 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thereandbackagainNZ
UK180 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
Falls are OK; not the best in the area but quite nice BUT ignore all reviewers who say it is a short, easy walk! It is 45 minutes each way, muddy in places and with a small stream to ford - and has a huge drop down into the valley and a very tough climb up, using many sets of steps. I am a good walker and enjoyed it but if you are not used to it / with a toddler / wearing flip-flops be warned! Not suitable for dogs who MUST be on a lead (huge fine if ignored) as they will pull you off the steep narrow steps and be a hazard to other users - leave them in the car to keep the regular scum-bags out!
Written 20 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophie
Sweden55 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
Me and my partner went to Fairy Falls and when you park your car you can see signs that says you should not leave any valuables behind. What they forget to mention is that there are thieves hiding in the bushes, waiting for you to leave your car. They will know if you put the stuff in the boot. The walk down to fairy falls and back will take you between 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on how fast you walk. My partner and I put our bags in the boot so that they were not visible. When we came back to the car around an hour after we left it, the thieves had broken one window and stolen all our luggage. When we went to the police station, the officer told us this happens a lot and that if we went back, we might be able to find some of our stuff thrown in the bushes. We didn't have much hope, but we did drive back. We did not find our bags, but we did find about 4-5 other bags in the bushes. We then also noticed fresh glass around the parking which means we were not the only ones who had lost our luggage that day.
Written 6 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PSNZ_13
Oratia, Auckland3 contributions
Mar 2020
The track is not permanently closed. It's a beautiful walk in Aucklands Regional Park. It's temporarily closed and marked by the council to be upgraded and opened 20/21.
Written 4 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mrssummers6
Sunshine Coast, Australia107 contributions
Feb 2018 • Family
We had a lovely afternoon at Fairy Falls. We hiked for around 40 minutes to get to the first pool. We all had a swim, the water was freezing! But it was still great. Have some lovely photos and great memories from the day. Def one to do if you are in Auckland.
Written 12 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bhaforever
Port Moody, Canada278 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
This is a fairly easy walk through some really beautiful bush to the lovely waterfalls along a purpose built trail.
There's a lot of stairs down to the falls which means the walk back up to your car is by far the more taxing. Two key tips: take water especially when it's warmer and wear proper walking shoes as the surfaces on and around the falls are slippery. Togs and a towel for a quick dip in the pools under the falls are optional.
There's a lot of stairs down to the falls which means the walk back up to your car is by far the more taxing. Two key tips: take water especially when it's warmer and wear proper walking shoes as the surfaces on and around the falls are slippery. Togs and a towel for a quick dip in the pools under the falls are optional.
Written 24 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bronniebee
South Perth, Australia37 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
As younger adults who have good fitness, we found the Fairy Falls walk really enjoyable. We did the circuit which was about 5km, but there's different routes that you can choose by looking at the big information sign at the start of the track. The walk was long enough that our legs got a good workout but not too hard. Bring your bathers/togs and a towel if you fancy a dip in the water - I walked along the stream bare-foot and enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend for a fun 2-3 hours.
Written 15 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma K
County Armagh, UK451 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
We walked from Scenic Drive car park to the falls and back again. This can be done in 1.5 hours if you like to stop and take lots of photos like we did. It took us 30 mins to get back from the bottom waterfall to the car park. Getting down is the easy part, lots of steps and a river crossing at one point. It had been raining lots recently. Getting back up is harder but it's ok if you stop to catch your breath now and again. The track is muddy at the moment due to the rain but there were still a few people on the track.
Written 24 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, can you reasonably swim there in the winter? How about taking a 18 month old baby/toddler in a sling? Many thanks!
Written 29 May 2015
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