Acland Falls

Peel Forest Park / Geraldine, South Island, New Zealand

About Acland Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Acland Falls was the first of three waterfalls that Julie and I visited in the peaceful and ancient Peel Forest (Tarahaoa).

Perhaps the main reason why Julie and I found so much peace in this pocket of a reserve was that it seemed to be off the beaten path being near Geraldine, which was at least a couple hours drive from Christchurch.

Acland_Falls_017_12212009 - Acland Falls
Acland Falls

We went here as our waterfalling excuse to break up the drive between Christchurch and Mt Cook (Aoraki).

So even though the 14m Acland Falls didn’t blow us away with its thin flow and modest size, we felt an excursion to this waterfall was more about immersion as opposed to checking off a bucket list.

Indeed, we were drawn by the lush scenery and a true escape back to Nature, while a bucket list item would have been overrun with tour buses and crowds in a more chaotic experience.

Hiking to Acland Falls

We started off by hiking through an open grassy area at the signposted trailhead for Acland Falls (see directions below).

Acland_Falls_001_12212009 - The signed trailhead for Acland Falls
The signed trailhead for Acland Falls

The sign estimated that it would take 30 minutes to reach the falls.

Once we got past the sign, we were promptly within the familiar bush scenery that we had experienced on most of the other waterfall hikes throughout New Zealand.

Yet what was remarkable about this particular bush scenery was that the Peel Forest was located on the leeward (drier) side of the Southern Alps.

So I found it pretty amazing to be walking amongst this paradoxical lushness.

Acland_Falls_003_12212009 - Julie at a trail junction at the top of the initial climb as she descends towards Acland Falls
Julie at a trail junction at the top of the initial climb as she descends towards Acland Falls

As for the track itself, we immediately started climbing until we reached a signed trail junction at its apex.

At this junction, the left fork was for Allan’s Track, while the right fork descended back down towards Acland Falls about another 5 minutes further.

Once we were at the bottom of the descent, the remainder of the hike involved stream scrambling within the small gorge harboring the waterfall itself.

Fortunately, the stream walk was pretty straightforward because the stream was shallow, and it was made even easier since Julie and I were equipped with gore-tex hiking boots.

Acland_Falls_005_12212009 - Julie stream scrambling her way to Acland Falls after the descent had bottomed out
Julie stream scrambling her way to Acland Falls after the descent had bottomed out

Ultimately, we found ourselves right in front of the sloping and slanting Acland Falls.

Even though it was pretty sunny back at the trailhead, we were in the depths of a lush forest and gorge so there wasn’t a whole lot of sunlight that made it through to the falls.

Thus, I had to hold my breath to take photos as all of them were virtually long exposure shots given the low lighting conditions.

Anyhow, when Julie and I returned to the car, we ended up taking about 50 minutes on the trail, which was not much less than the original estimate given by the sign at the trailhead.

Authorities

Acland Falls resides in the Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve near Geraldine in the Canterbury region of South Island, New Zealand. It is administered under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: peel forest, tarahaoa, canterbury, south island, christchurch, new zealand, waterfall, geraldine



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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