New Zealand, according to the gazetteer maintained by Land Information New Zealand has "249 named waterfalls and 31 named rapids". There are perhaps seven named "Bridal Veil", and 17 whose names include "Rere" meaning "to leap or descend". In the North Island only 18 of 130 have non-Māori names (including 5 clustered around Mount Taranaki), but in the South Island only 15 of the 150 named waterfalls (or rapids) have retained their Māori name.
There are disagreements on what constitutes a waterfall. For example, the Browne Falls is claimed by some to be a waterfall with a drop of 800 metres. Other sources describe it as a steep stream with numerous small cataracts.
List of waterfalls
This is a list of notable waterfalls in New Zealand. Many of the highest waterfalls are in Fiordland.
Fiordland
See also: FiordlandMany of the highest New Zealand waterfalls are in Fiordland National Park in the Southland region of the South Island, and are geographically on the west coast; an area with very high rainfall. Several of the waterfalls empty into fiords off the Tasman Sea:
- falls into Doubtful Sound - Chamberlain Falls, Helena Falls, Lady Alice Falls.
- falls into Milford Sound - Bowen Falls, Stirling Falls.
See also
References
Notes
- Kirkpatrick, p. 114.
- Kirkpatrick, pp. 128 and 130.
Bibliography
- Kirkpatrick, Russell (2011). Walks to Waterfalls: 100 New Zealand Waterfalls. Auckland: David Bateman. ISBN 978 1 86953 806 4.
Further reading
- Cheng, Johnny T. (2006). A guide to New Zealand waterfalls (1st ed.). Artesia, CA: Story Nature. ISBN 9780976955191.
External links
- Waterfalls in New Zealand at Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- New Zealand Waterfalls Web Site