Okere Falls Track
Okere Falls Track
4.5
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4.5
180 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
76
Average
8
Poor
0
Terrible
1
demirbas
Melbourne, Australia269 contributions
Sept 2020
The Okere waterfall is a wonderful natural beauty, about 20 km from the city of Rotorua. There are also rafting and kayaking facilities. You will have to park your car and descend 62 steps just to be able to see this wonderful waterfall up close. Have a good time already.
Written 28 September 2020
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.
WCOB
Paekakariki, New Zealand647 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
This is an easy walk covering the Okere Falls, Tutea falls and cave and the trout pool talking about 25 minutes one way. The walk goes through native bush and has plenty of informative displays. It was raining when I went through but it made it more mystical. The Tutea Falls were partically impressive and the cave had glow worms
Written 3 May 2023
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.
ITRT
Virginia45,678 contributions
Dec 2022 • Solo
The falls are located on the shores of Lake Rotoiti. From the car park, it is a short walk to a viewing platform. This is where you can see rafters and kayaks taking the waterfall plunge. The waterfall is the highest commercially rafted waterfall at nearly 23 feet. If a rafter(s) falls out of the raft, there are people in kayaks who will help them to safety. There is a two-mile walk taking you to Okere Falls, Tutea’s Falls, Tutea’s Cave, and Trout Pool Falls and the old hydroelectric power station. All of these are part of the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve. An old turbine is on display near the viewpoint. It was recovered and restored from the power station and put on display. Amazing site to watch the rafters plunge down the waterfall.
Written 11 April 2023
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.
evenstar944
New York City, NY297 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
This is the best FREE activity I have done in the Rotorua area. A easy well-marked relatively short bushwalk with scenic view points over the Okere river and Tutea waterfall. If you are lucky with you might catch one of the many rafting trips make their way down this waterfall, which is supposedly the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. Along the walk there is a section that narrows along a cliff edge that leads up to some small caves to explore. There is also a trout pool where you may get a chance to spot some of these fish. Historically, this was an area with a hydroelectric power station. There are some remains of this such as an old turbine which you can see on the track. The track is about a 30 minute drive from the main city of Rotorua and well worth time it takes to get there. I would rank it as my favorite short bushwalk in the North Island.
Written 4 July 2024
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.
Paul B
Chesterfield, UK1,709 contributions
Mar 2020
Recommend this as from the main car park you have easy walking the th falls. One viewing area is 1 min walk the other including some steep steps is about 10 minutes walk. If you are lucky you will see white water rafters . The falls are definitely worth a look
Written 7 March 2020
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.
Jeff1903
King's Lynn, UK1,464 contributions
Mar 2020
We took the recommended loop which is around two Km in total with diversions to see the cave and pool, It was a pleasant stroll through the forest, though there was a fair bit of up and down, some with steps.
You can head up the valley and park by the Trout Pool to see the top end if you dont want to walk all the way.
It is not Niagara, but in its own way, quite impressive and worth the effort on a nice day.
You may see the white water rafters on your walk. More likely you will hear them screaming.
You can head up the valley and park by the Trout Pool to see the top end if you dont want to walk all the way.
It is not Niagara, but in its own way, quite impressive and worth the effort on a nice day.
You may see the white water rafters on your walk. More likely you will hear them screaming.
Written 5 March 2020
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.
RachaelR17
Wellington, New Zealand258 contributions
Jan 2021
A great little walk through beautiful forest. The main walk to Okere falls is about 15 mins and if you're lucky you'll spot kayakers or white water rafters coming down the famous waterfall. Further on up another 20 minutes or so is the end of the track, so you could do a return walk in just under an hour. Terrain is really flat so a nice easy stroll to stretch your legs.
Written 1 January 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.
jofergus
Napier, New Zealand23 contributions
Sept 2020
Beautiful piece of paradise. Takes about 1 hour round trip, there are two options to make the walk shorter. Any fitness level could do this, walking along side the river you may see people white water rafting down the waterfalls.
Written 16 September 2020
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.
April N
Christchurch, New Zealand931 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
We did the entire walk and while I found the walk from the upper carpark through to the lower carpark easy enough I struggled with the ridge track taking us back around to the upper carpark. I have bad knees and am not overly fit, but I did complete the full track. Keep in mind it was a nice day and took us 30mins. The ridge track would be very difficult in wet conditions.
Written 21 April 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.
wucie
Bern, Switzerland477 contributions
Feb 2020
The Kaituna River is used quite extensively by kayakers and rafting companies, but hikers can enjoy it too. The hike and river are located just off Highway 33 right after the Okere Falls Store.
It’s an easy, short (30 min/1.2 km one way) hike along a well maintained bush track bordering the river, with several scenic lookouts and informative panels on the area’s nature and human history. You can park at either end of the track. If at the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve end, then check out the steps leading down to the thundering water (steep and slippery when wet) and location of the old hydroelectric power station (4th in NZ, built in 1899 but already obsolete by the 1930s). You can still see one of the old turbines on display at the start of the trail where there’s also an impressive toilet block.
Half way down, not accessible by road are the Tutea Falls and Hinemoa’s Steps (named after a local Maori woman) cut into the bank in 1907 which descend to the Tutea Caves and eponymous falls (contain cave weta apparently).
At the tail end of the track is another parking which seemed popular with camper vans as it comes with views over fields, a toilet and the lovely Trout Pool, refreshing on a hot day (numerous people were swimming). The falls are also impressive and mark the rafting take-out.
Tip: Trout Pool is a great place to spent a warm summer’s evening/night in a camper because it comes with views, a toilet and refreshing swimming pools.
It’s an easy, short (30 min/1.2 km one way) hike along a well maintained bush track bordering the river, with several scenic lookouts and informative panels on the area’s nature and human history. You can park at either end of the track. If at the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve end, then check out the steps leading down to the thundering water (steep and slippery when wet) and location of the old hydroelectric power station (4th in NZ, built in 1899 but already obsolete by the 1930s). You can still see one of the old turbines on display at the start of the trail where there’s also an impressive toilet block.
Half way down, not accessible by road are the Tutea Falls and Hinemoa’s Steps (named after a local Maori woman) cut into the bank in 1907 which descend to the Tutea Caves and eponymous falls (contain cave weta apparently).
At the tail end of the track is another parking which seemed popular with camper vans as it comes with views over fields, a toilet and the lovely Trout Pool, refreshing on a hot day (numerous people were swimming). The falls are also impressive and mark the rafting take-out.
Tip: Trout Pool is a great place to spent a warm summer’s evening/night in a camper because it comes with views, a toilet and refreshing swimming pools.
Written 14 March 2020
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.
How long the track and how easy thank you linda
Written 5 March 2019
Hi the track can all be walked but must take care as in winter track is slippery. Beautiful place amazing walks. Times that it takes depends on the person walking it.
Written 4 June 2019
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