Just a few minutes drive outside Taupo is a true force of nature, the Huka Falls. It is a must visit, and every time in New Zealand, we have gone to see this amazing sight. When you stand on the bridge across the narrow flume of raging water, you can feel the force of it in your bones. 

Top tip is to take the small detour at the northern end of the carpark and follow the path down to a great spot below the falls where the color of the water shimners like turquoise in the sunshine. 

• 🌊 Over 220,000 litres of water per second thunder through the falls — that’s enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in about 11 seconds!

• 💧 The water comes from Lake Taupō, New Zealand’s largest lake.

• 🎨 The water’s bright turquoise colour comes from tiny air bubbles created by the intense churning.

• 📏 The falls drop about 11 metres (36 feet) — not super tall, but incredibly powerful.

• 🚤 You can take a jet boat ride that brings you right up close to the base of the falls.

• 🚶 It’s only about a 5–10 minute walk from the car park to the main viewing platform.

• 📸 It’s one of New Zealand’s most visited natural attractions.

• 🏞️ The Waikato River — New Zealand’s longest river — flows through the falls.