Charlies Rock Waterfall, Kerikeri

BY BRUCE HAYWARD (GEOLOGIST)
Accessibility: MODERATE
Charlies Rock Waterfall, Kerikeri, giant cooling columns.
Waterfall over basalt lava flow with large diameter basalt cooling columns.
Charlies Rock Waterfall, Kerikeri.
Basalt erupted from the Kaikohe-Kerikeri region off and on over the last 10 million years. The basalt formed lava flows and scoria cones. All the older cones have eroded away but extensive basalt lava flows remain.
Charlies Rock Waterfall, Kerikeri.
5 m high waterfall over the edge of a fresh basalt lava flow with widely spaced cooling joints that created large basalt columns.
The falls have a large plunge pool below that locals use for swimming and jumping into in summer.
Directions/Advisory

Park in carpark at Waipapa Landing on Landing Rd off Waipapa Rd. 15 min walk up grassed track to falls.

Be careful on the rocks at the top of the falls - do not dive into the river because of possible underwater rocks.
Be careful crossing Landing Rd.

Google Directions

Click here for Google driving directions

Accessibility: MODERATE

Take walking track from west side of road, 100 m up road from carpark towards Kerikeri. Grassy and slightly muddy track, mostly flat with a narrower slippery section near falls. Track splits with one branch to the columnar jointing at the bottom/side of the falls and the other to the top of the falls.

Features
Volcanic Landform
Geological Age
Erupted in the Pliocene, 4 million years ago.