Huka Falls, Waikato River

“The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo in New Zealand. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from roughly 100 metres across into a narrow canyon only 15 metres across.

The canyon is carved into lake floor sediments laid down before Taupo’s Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago. The volume of water flowing through often approaches 220,000 litres per second. At the top of the Falls is a set of small waterfalls dropping over about 8 metres. The most impressive, final stage of the falls (pictured here) is an 11 metre drop. The drop is technically six metres (cliff beneath the water) but the water flow raises the level to 11m.

The falls are a popular tourist attraction, being close to Taupo and readily accessible from State Highway One, although there are much higher waterfalls to be seen in the country. Huka Falls Jet takes tourists within a few metres of the base of the falls in their jetboats.”

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