Papaseea Sliding Rocks

Apia / Lepea, Upolu Island, Samoa

About Papaseea Sliding Rocks

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Papaseea Sliding Rocks (or Papase’ea Sliding Rocks) was a series of waterfalls on the Papase’ea Stream that seemed to be well known and popular given its proximity to the town of Apia.

Although the grammar in its name suggested that rocks could slide here, they really meant that you could slide on these rocks.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_048_11132019 - The waterfalls spilling into the so-called Men's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
The waterfalls spilling into the so-called Men’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

However, when Julie and I made our visit in November 2019, we looked at the rocks and decided that we weren’t going to do them.

In my mind, they looked like a recipe for broken bones.

Perhaps our perception of the safety of these sliding rocks were coloured by the low flow of the falls.

Either that or we might have looked at the possible sliding areas the wrong way.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_067_11132019 - Looking across the Women's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks, where it might be possible to slide here, but you really have to know what you're doing
Looking across the Women’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks, where it might be possible to slide here, but you really have to know what you’re doing

Nevertheless, these waterfalls looked way too scary for us to even entertain the thought of going down any of the three or four waterfalls where it might have been possible.

The Papaseea Sliding Rocks Waterfalls

Speaking of the waterfalls, there were four named waterfalls and an unnamed one at the very bottom of the waterfall series.

The uppermost waterfall was called Le Telesa’s Pool (or O le Papa o Tuli), which appeared to have a drop of 3-5m.

This short waterfall did not appear to have sanctioned access to its top for an attempt at sliding down its modestly-sized drop.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_070_11132019 - Le Telesa's Pool at Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Le Telesa’s Pool at Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

The next waterfall in the series was the so-called Men’s Pool (or O le Papa o Tamaloloa).

This waterfall had a split twin drop, and it probably dropped from a height that seemed closer to 7-10m or so.

Nevertheless, I felt the thought of sliding down this waterfall amounted to a death wish, but I’m sure some local or daredevil can prove me wrong.

Anyways, of all of the waterfalls at the Papaseea Sliding Rocks, I felt that this was the most photogenic one.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_034_11132019 - Profile view of the Men's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Profile view of the Men’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

The third waterfall in the series of cascades was called the Children’s Pool (or O le Papa o Tamaiti).

Like the first waterfall, this one had a very modest size.

However, it sat within a steep bowl, where shortly downstream of its plunge pool was the start of the next waterfall.

So I question whether even this waterfall was appropriate for children to slide in.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_041_11132019 - Looking towards the Children's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Looking towards the Children’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

Yet once again, I’m sure there are those people out there who would say that I’m overreacting.

Speaking of the next waterfall, that was the so-called Women’s Pool (or O le Papa o Fafine).

This waterfall featured a travertine-line mound where the stream split and spilled on either side of its protrusion.

Like with the Men’s Pool, it seemed like if you don’t slide properly down this slippery incline, you could miss the plunge pool altogether and really get hurt.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_055_11132019 - Looking directly at the Women's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Looking directly at the Women’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

Nevertheless, I found this waterfall had the potential to be just as attractive as the Men’s Pool Waterfall (perhaps even more so under higher water conditions).

Finally, there were more minor cascades further downstream from the Women’s Pool, which eventually spilled over a modest-sized drop into a wide and seemingly dark and deep plunge pool at its bottom.

From the stream’s bedrock, there didn’t seem to be a safe access to get down there as far as I could tell.

However, there might have been the possibility of scrambling in the bush a little away from the stream.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_063_11132019 - Looking over the top of the last of the waterfalls at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Looking over the top of the last of the waterfalls at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

Perhaps that might have allowed me to make it down to the very bottom (or to get back up after perhaps sliding down the last of the cascades), but I’m just speculating as I didn’t pursue this.

Experiencing the Papaseea Sliding Rocks

Our visit pretty much involved paying the owners 5 tala per adult, and then we descended a long series of steps leading through a lush garden and towards a fale overlooking Le Telesa’s Pool and the Men’s Pool.

The descending steps split and rejoined as they seemed to allow the visitor a chance to look at a different part of the garden (or at least make it easier for people going in opposite directions to not have to squeeze past each other).

From the fale, there were two steps leading to the Papase’ea Stream’s bedrock – one before Le Telesa’s Pool and one leading to alongside the drop of the Men’s Pool towards its bottom.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_040_11132019 - Context of the steps beneath the fale alongside the Men's Pool at the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Context of the steps beneath the fale alongside the Men’s Pool at the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks

In order to get to the bottom of the Women’s Pool, I had to scramble to the other side of the Papase’ea Stream, then descend the sloping bedrock towards the bottom before backtracking my way back up to the plunge pool of the Women’s Pool.

This descent would be dangerously slippery if wet (e.g. when it’s raining or the Papase’ea Stream would be in flood).

That was pretty much the extent of our visit, and once we had our fill, we went back up the way we came.

Since we didn’t go for a swim here, we only spent about 50 minutes here, but we easily could have stayed longer if we did opt to go in the water.

Papaseea_Sliding_Rocks_071_11132019 - Looking down towards the bottom of the steps, which deposited us between the Men's Pool and the Children's Pool
Looking down towards the bottom of the steps, which deposited us between the Men’s Pool and the Children’s Pool

And even if we did go in the water and endured opportunistic mosquitoes looking to draw blood, I’d still dare not to slide down any of the rocks.

Authorities

The Papaseea Sliding Rocks reside in the Tuamasaga District in Apia on ‘Upolu Island, Samoa. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try the MNRE website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

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Tagged with: papaseea, apia, tuamasaga, upolu, swimming, sliding, waterslide, water slide, waterfalls, south pacific, injury



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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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