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This was an unplanned, random adventure - unplanned because we had actually planned to go in the opposite direction, yet it turned out pretty cool in the end. Sunshine, rock hopping and cinnamon pinwheels at McLaren Falls was an awesome half-day adventure with my friend, Jem, her daughter Amelia and Vlado (Jem’s flatmate).

I know what you’re thinking, why go rock hopping when you can chase waterfalls, right? It turns out that rock hopping in the sunshine is good for the soul, not to mention a great workout for your quads! It certainly brought out Amelia’s sense of adventure, who was still to be convinced that road trips with adults (particularly with her mum’s friends) can actually be fun.

McLaren Falls is a 1.5 hour drive from Whakatane and just 30 mins from Tauranga. The waterfall is at the entrance of a large park which includes several walking tracks, animal park, a smaller waterfall and campground surrounding Lake McLaren. Access to the park is free. I will have to go back and check out the walking tracks another day.

There hadn’t been much rainfall all week, so the rocks were pretty dry. If like me you have creaking knees, don’t worry, there’s no moss on the rocks apart from those by the riverbank.
Rock hopping definitely brings out the kid in me, actually all the adults became big kids that day. I watched Amelia spritely hopping from one rock to another with her youthful legs, while her mum and I would do a bum-shuffle or gingerly climb down some of the larger boulders.

Further upstream we discovered a little stream that Jem described as the ‘fairy house’. The stream was surrounded by moss covered rocks and there was a peacefulness that could only be described as a magical.

Most of the visitors to McLaren Falls usually stay by the waterfall, so walking along the rocks upstream took us away from the people and noise. Even though it’s still early into spring, there were swimmers at the bottom of the waterfall. I did find it amusing watching a young couple trying to get the perfect jump shot - how many times would you try before giving up?

We must have been there for almost two hours, it felt like time stopped to be honest. Vlado had been taking photos all morning, and he said that he would have loved to stay longer. It was late afternoon and my tummy soon reminded me that we hadn’t had lunch. While Vlado went to take more photos, Jem, Amelia and I sat down on the rocks to enjoy some homemade cinnamon pinwheels. Jem is quite the baker, and her cinnamon pinwheels were the perfect adventure snack!

Jem and I called this our serendipitous adventure - the kind that didn’t go according to plan, but turned out to be something even better. If you’ve never been rock hopping at McLaren Falls, give it a go, just remember to bring water and snacks. Happy exploring!

fivefootronna is Ronna Grace Funtelar - a thirtyish adventurer, graphic designer and writer.
A woman with a curious mind who lives for hiking mountains, outdoor adventures and eating pizza. She has a unique brand of optimism that is a combination of her great enthusiasm for life and cups of coffee during the day.