I had planned an overnight camp at Ngatuhoa Lodge to explore three waterfalls that weekend: Te Rere i Oturu, Ngatuhoa and Tauwharawhara. Betty, my trusty RAV4, have been down some gnarly gravel roads in our time together. The drive into the lodge had some hairy blind corners, but as far as gravel and forestry roads go, it wasn’t that bad. Bumpy enough that your passengers are best to save sipping a cold one for later, but also in the words of a 1-star Google review, “...the drive into the camp was horrendous so don't take a new car here!”

Ngatuhoa Lodge is on public conservation land in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest, but access is through private forestry roads. Don’t just rock up, there’s a large locked gate about 20-30 minutes drive from the lodge. There’s little to no mobile reception in the area, so make sure to organise key access before you go. To make your booking and organise key access, go to ngatuhoa.org.nz | Google maps: Ngatuhoa Lodge

This was a solo adventure, a pre-Christmas hike chasing waterfalls and to get a baseline for my current lack of hike-fitness. It was also the first day of New Zealand’s summer, but the constant drizzle and a few heavy downpours reminded me more of the rainy season in a tropical country. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Te Rere i Oturu this time round as the rain would have made river levels rise and there were several river crossings on the track. You can also access the falls by driving 5km from the lodge down a gravel road.

I got to the campsite around 3pm on Saturday afternoon, so I figured there would be enough light to check out Tauwharawhara Falls before I made dinner. If the rain stopped, I’d pitch the tent, otherwise I’d just sleep in the car. Perks of being short. The campsite has a large cooking shelter, two long-drop toilets and I even spotted some outdoor showers around the back of the shelter. There’s also easy river access for drinking water and swimming.

Dinner was an Angus cheeseburger with carrots and cucumber - more Boujee than what I usually pack camping. After dinner, I made my bed and got stuck into my book for the night ‘Sam the trap man’ by Sam Gibson. Thirteen chapters later and my watch ticked over to 11pm. I braved the cold rain for one last toilet run before bed.

Tauwharawhara Falls

Distance: 2km return | Approx. 1 hour return

The start of the track is up a steep 4WD road to the left of the campsite, about a five minute drive I reckon. Look for a small clearing on the right with a faded wooden sign hidden in the long grass. It was easy enough to spot, even in the hazy rain.

About five minutes in, take a right off the main track to the lookout overlooking the lodge.

I probably would have enjoyed the hike more if it wasn’t so wet. Much like my rainy day experiences in the Kaimai, I just accept there will be mud, and if that mud isn’t up to my ankles, then it’s going to be a good hike. Maybe my navigation was a bit rusty and there were several times I had to backtrack to find the track again. Eventually I would find an orange marker to reassure me I was going the right way.

My left ankle started to throb just as I came to a large bushy windfall. A hiking pole would've been handy, but that was in the boot of my RAV4. I spotted a small opening, but that required an army crawl in the mud, so I decided to bush bash until I popped out the other side.

I knew I was getting close to the falls when the track started going down steeply. I only slipped once which was surprising, but it did leave me with a sore left buttcheek. I got up and did a quick body check in. All good. Eventually, I hopped down into the stream to what I thought was the top of Tauwharawhara Falls, but this was just the stream that linked up to it.

To get to the top of the waterfall, cross the stream and head down the narrow track. You’ll come to another stream and that's the top of Tauwharawhara - it's a big drop so watch your footing. I'm not actually sure if there's a track that takes you to the bottom of the falls - the light was already fading and it was too wet to keep exploring that day.

I headed back the way I came and drove back to the campsite. I quickly got out of my wet clothes and decided I would rather read a book than try to pitch a tent in the rain.

If the rain had stopped overnight, I may have pushed through to Te Rere i Oturu the next day. It would have been a 16km day and I just didn't want to risk crossing rivers after persistent rain.

My fried breakfast of kranskys, mushrooms and egg cheered me up somewhat. I decided to check out Ngatuhoa Falls after breakfast, then head home earlier than planned. I didn't get to see the waterfall I actually came out here for, but now that I've driven the gravel road, it doesn't seem as far to return.

Ngatuhoa Falls

Distance: 4km return (Strava says 3km) | Approx. 1.5 hour return

There are two starting points to the track - the first is a couple of minutes from the campsite, with a small grass clearing on the right where you can park. There’s a wooden sign pointing downhill that will lead you to the start of the track. It’s a there and back track and gives access to both the top and bottom of the falls.

I found this track a lot cleaner than Tauwharawhara, likely because it’s a more popular track and regularly used. The track is well marked with orange markers until it’s not, but I didn’t have to backtrack or navigate around windfall, it’s pretty clear and easy to follow the trail. Even though it was a wet hike, I still enjoyed the lushness of the bush and having a track to myself is always a bonus. 

When you get to the junction with a ‘drowning risk’ sign (maybe 10 minutes in), head left and down to the river to see the top of the falls, or right to see the bottom of the falls. Be careful walking along the river as there are deep holes in the rocks filled with water. This section isn’t marked, but the noise will make it obvious which way to go.

I went down to the bottom of the falls first, which itself was quite the adventure. Once you get down to the river, you’ll see some large boulders. Some even had mesh wire that gives the boulders decent grip. When I looked down, I saw blood dripping down from a couple of small gashes on my leg - nothing like some battle scars to show off later. It was slow going up the river - boulder hopping and bum shuffling as my short legs did their best to keep up. I also spotted a lone orange marker on one of the boulders, which was impressive. 

After taking a million photos, I walked back to the junction and down to the river to check out the top of the falls. This section isn’t marked but the noise will guide the way. There are some good viewpoints to see all the way down to the river where I had stood half an hour before.

It was still raining when I got back to the car, so I drove back to the campsite to get changed into dry clothes. I only met one car on the way back to the highway - we both waved and smiled, then kept on driving until our cars became a dot on the rear view mirror and disappeared.

Ronna Grace Funtelar is a 40-something desk-fit creative, weekend explorer and cheese enthusiast in Whakatāne, New Zealand. She has a big butt, chunky thighs and shakin’ more jelly than Destiny’s Child. Her creaky knees discovered an appreciation for Type 2 adventures in the bush and mountains in her thirties, and she’s been hiking ever since.

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