Purakaunui Falls
Encyclopedia
The Purakaunui Falls are a cascading multi-tiered waterfall on the Purakaunui River
, located in the Catlins
in the southern South Island
of New Zealand
. A highly distinctive cataract, it is an iconic image for southeastern New Zealand, and were featured on a New Zealand postage stamp
in 1976.
and five kilometres (3 miles) from the river's outflow into the Pacific Ocean
. They can be reached via a short, well-signposted bush walk from a gravel side-road off the main Owaka-Invercargill
road.
The falls are in an isolated area surrounded by native bush
in a scenic reserve of 5 km² (1.9 sq mi), and fall 20 m (66 ft) in three tiers.
Purakaunui River
The Purakaunui River is a river in the western Catlins, New Zealand. It rises west of Houipapa and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Purakaunui Bay.-References:...
, located in the Catlins
The Catlins
The Catlins comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions...
in the southern South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. A highly distinctive cataract, it is an iconic image for southeastern New Zealand, and were featured on a New Zealand postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
in 1976.
Location
The falls are located 17 km (10.6 mi) to the southwest of the small town of OwakaOwaka
Owaka is a small town in Otago, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest community in the rugged, forested Catlins area, close to the border with Southland, some south of Balclutha on the Southern Scenic Route. The town's population was 334 in the 2006 census, a decrease of...
and five kilometres (3 miles) from the river's outflow into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. They can be reached via a short, well-signposted bush walk from a gravel side-road off the main Owaka-Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
road.
The falls are in an isolated area surrounded by native bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
in a scenic reserve of 5 km² (1.9 sq mi), and fall 20 m (66 ft) in three tiers.