Huka Falls

Lake Taupō located on the Waikato River in New Zealand is a series of waterfalls known as Huka Falls. The Waikato River narrows from a gorge that is around 100 meters wide to one that is about 15 meters wide a few hundred meters upstream from Huka Falls. The canyon is carved into sediments from the lake bed that was deposited before the Oruanui eruption of Taupō Volcano 26,500 years ago.

Huka Falls is situated on the Waikato River, which narrows before the falls, creating a region of intense pressure and water velocity. The river gorge and falls in Taupo on the North Island were gouged out of the surrounding sedimentary rock over eons of relentless beating.

The local government now regulates the flow, and the falls are a popular tourist destination because of their beauty and accessibility. The falls are also notorious for the late 1980s discovery of the bound body of a national sports hero, which revealed a sleazy aspect of the local culture that most people would prefer to forget.

Location: Taupō, New Zealand