Highest drop 75m (60m + 20m with double bolt anchors high on TL)
Public access
7hrs
Steep mountain stream, with generally low flows and a very big waterfall!
A full description can be found in the Canyoning in NZ guidebook.
Anchors need maintenance!
As of March 2023:
The big pitch was re-bolted as a 60m + 20m pitch. The 20m pitch had a double bold anchor installed high on the TL.
These anchors have been damaged, with only a single bolt remaining.
Parties should either bring 2x 80m rope to do the whole waterfall in one pitch, OR bring a drill to install a new anchor station.
Bear in mind that the original station was damaged by high water: find a place which is sheltered from flood waters to install the replacement.
This and other Guide book updates are published on this site.
If you replace the anchors, please contact us and/or log a trip report below.
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We tried to replace the hanger on the second pitch of the big waterfall with a new M10 nut but there wasn’t enough bolt thread left sticking out to get it started. I cut off the old webbing and joined the ring + hanger to the top (good) hanger with a new SS maillon. We then rapped off this. If anyone feels like putting in a new bolt that would be cool. The last rap (R6 in the guidebook) has a single bolt on the TR and no tree anchor that I could find. Overall a great trip, lots of pretty stream bashing but worth it for the big 60m and 45m waterfalls. We floated the whole way down the Whakapapa river through all the rapids to the take out bridge which was a fun adventure in itself!
One of the nuts on the second pitch (20m) after the 60m still needs replacing and the webbing looks like it could do with replacing too. Hanger and actual bolt still there and looking fine. At the moment works as a mono bolt. Brilliant abseil down the 60m! A cool jump from the last 10m pitch, and a LOT of gorge walking.
Nut still needs to be replaced on the second bolt on 20m rebelay on the main big abseil. The webbing on this same anchor could use replacing too. The final 10m abseil jumped! We left our car in the top car park which made a nice easy walk to the canyon. You need a 4WD to get up to the 2nd car park. It took and hour and a half to bike back up from first car park at the end to the car and bring it back down again.
The 60m rappel was really enjoyable, it partially made up for the abundance of stream bashing… Worth doing once. The new 20m rappel anchor after the 60m rappel needs to be repaired. It is missing a nut (probably M10 and stainless). The hanger and ring are still attached to the system.