Spa Park to Huka Falls, Taupō

From the car park in Spa Thermal Park, walk five minutes down to the Waikato River and cross the footbridge over the Otumuheke Stream, a naturally hot stream that pours into the river here. The walkers' track then follows the riverbank north, mostly above the water, with some cliff-edge stretches and footbridges over side gullies, to the footbridge at Huka Falls. There the river is forced through a rock channel about 15 m wide before dropping into a pool of white water. Look over the falls from the bridge and lookouts, then return the same way.

It is 6.5 km there and back with 125 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: a gentle riverside track with a few short climbs.

Some stretches run along a cliff edge, so keep children close. The river is deep, cold and fast: never swim above the falls. Huka means foam; the flow is set by control gates upstream that hold back Lake Taupō for hydro stations. The track carries on to the Aratiatia Rapids for a longer day.

The car park in Spa Thermal Park, off County Avenue at the north end of Taupō, is free. If you arrange a pick-up at the Huka Falls car park instead, it is locked from 5:30 pm to 8:30 am.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.