Mahuia Rapids, Toakakura Falls, Matariki Falls

Tongariro National Park / Ruapehu, North Island, New Zealand

About Mahuia Rapids, Toakakura Falls, Matariki Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Mahuia Rapids was really an accidental find as we were actually looking for Matariki Falls and Toakakura Falls.

It happened to be one of the obscure labels on a map of the Tongariro National Park area in our Lonely Planet guides to New Zealand (specifically the 11th edition published in 2002).

Mahuia_Rapids_001_11162004 - A waterfall on what I believe to be Mahuia Rapids or Matariki Falls
A waterfall on what I believe to be Mahuia Rapids or Matariki Falls

There was no further elaboration or description of these features.

So on one fairly rainy morning, we went looking for them seeing that they seemed to be right next to the main highway (see directions below).

What we ended up seeing was a pretty attractive rocky cascade (pictured above) that was right next to a stream that we thought was the Whangapapanui Stream.

This happened to be the same stream responsible for Tawhai Falls, but it might have been referred to as the Pukeonake Stream according to more recent maps.

Toakakura_Falls_005_11172004 - This is a waterfall that I think might be Toakakura Falls
This is a waterfall that I think might be Toakakura Falls

There didn’t seem to be signposts during our visit in November 2004 so we couldn’t tell what we were seeing at the time.

In hindsight, I’d imagine that place would be more of a swimming hole or chill out spot.

We also didn’t think it was significant enough to include in our book (A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls), but it probably should have been in there the more I think about it.

In any case, after briefly checking out this roadside waterfall, I started to look around the immediate area by the adjacent bridge in search of the other two waterfalls.

Mahuia_Rapids_003_11162004 - Looking towards the larger stream that perhaps might be what the name Mahuia Rapids was referring to, but the attractive falls next to it I thought was more noteworthy
Looking towards the larger stream that perhaps might be what the name Mahuia Rapids was referring to, but the attractive falls next to it I thought was more noteworthy

Basically, I knew that there were waterfalls further downstream of the road bridge nearby the area because I could hear loud crashing waters that couldn’t have come from the waterfall pictured at the top of this page.

Even though the maps indicated that both Toakakura Falls and Matariki Falls were further downstream, I did notice a small but fair-volumed waterfall slightly upstream from the road bridge.

Since I couldn’t see Toakakura Falls from where I was at, I thought that perhaps this waterfall might be it.

Whatever the case, I then crossed the highway near the bridge, where I saw a pole with a red arrow on it.

Toakakura_Falls_006_11172004 - This was the red arrow on a pole that I tried to follow in search of Matariki Falls, but it turned out to be a pretty futile overgrown bushwhack
This was the red arrow on a pole that I tried to follow in search of Matariki Falls, but it turned out to be a pretty futile overgrown bushwhack

When I followed this very overgrown path behind the poled arrow, I basically lost the “trail” (if there was one).

After a few more minutes of essentially bushwhacking (while getting wet from both the rain and the wet foliage brushing up against me), I didn’t pursue Matariki Falls anymore.

In hindsight, I began to wonder if that waterfall was more known in the kayaking and canoe community because I did see some chatter about it being a runnable 13m waterfall or so.

That said, I’d imagine that would be a pretty significant drop for a kayak or canoe.

Authorities

Mahuia Rapids, Toakakura Falls, and Matariki Falls reside near National Park in the Central North Island region of New Zealand. They did not seem to have an authority overlooking them. Nonetheless, you can still seek out information or inquire about the area as well as current conditions by visiting the Department of Conservation website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: tongariro, whakapapa, manawatu, wanganui, whanganui, central plateau, north island, new zealand, waterfall, national park



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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.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.