Purakaunui Falls
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox waterfall
| name = Purakaunui Falls
| photo = Purakaunui Falls.jpg
| photo_caption = Purakaunui Falls
| location = The Catlins, South Island
| coords = {{Coord|46|31|13.46|S|169|33|47.56|E|region:NZ_type:landmark}}
| watercourse = Purakaunui River
| type = Cascade
| height = {{convert|20|m|ft|0}}
| average_flow =
| world_rank =
}}
File:Purakaunui Falls In Caitlins New Zealand.jpg
The Purakaunui Falls are a cascading three-tiered waterfall on the Purakaunui River, in The Catlins of the southern South Island of New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=https://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/new-zealand-purakaunui-falls.html|title=Purakaunui Falls, Southland, South Island, New Zealand|publisher=World of Waterfalls |accessdate=2014-03-21}} As one of very few South Island waterfalls away from the alpine region,{{Cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/waterfalls/page-1|title=A land of waterfalls|publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|accessdate=2014-03-21}} it has long been a popular destination and photographic subject.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3021/object/40688/Photograph_%5BPurakaunui_Falls_The_Catlins%5D |title=Photograph of Purakaunui Falls, from 1908|publisher=National Services Te Paerangi (NZ Museums)|accessdate=2014-03-21}}
The falls are an iconic image for The Catlins region, and were featured on a New Zealand postage stamp in 1976.{{Cite web|url=http://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/new-zealand/1976/waterfalls|title=Waterfalls, New Zealand postage stamps|publisher=New Zealand Post|accessdate=2014-03-21}}
Location
The falls are located {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the southwest of the small town of Owaka and {{convert|5|km|mi|0}} from the river's outflow into the Pacific Ocean. They can be reached via a short 10-minute bush walk from a car park on the Waikoato Valley / Purakaunui Falls Road, a gravel side-road off the main Owaka-Invercargill road. There are toilets and a picnic area. The small, well-signposted detour to the falls is popular with tourist travellers along the Southern Scenic Route, and prominently mentioned in brochures about the area.{{Cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/southland/ssr-catlins-journey.pdf|title=Southern Scenic Route, A Traveller's Guide, pg. 16|publisher=Department of Conservation NZ|accessdate=2014-03-21|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319033718/http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/southland/ssr-catlins-journey.pdf|archivedate=19 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}
Although the Purakaunui Falls are not part of the Catlins Conservation Park, they are surrounded by native bush consisting of podocarp and silver beech, in a scenic reserve of {{convert|5|km2|sqmi|0}}. A small viewing platform near the top of the falls is accessible by wheelchair. Steps continue down to the main viewing platform at the base of the {{convert|20|m|ft|0}} three tiered cascade.
See also
{{commons category|Purakaunui Falls}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.catlins.org.nz/ Official website for The Catlins]
- [https://stampsnz.com/1976_waterfalls.html Purakaunui Falls on 10c stamp of the 1976 waterfalls stamp series]