Waipohatu Waterfalls loop (H7)
Waipohatu Waterfalls loop track, Catlins New Zealand.
GPS: -46.618390° 169.012422°
Track recieves upgrades in 2009: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/waipohatu-track-receives-makeover/5/32130
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Fortrose to Curio Bay overview
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Waipohatu area map near Slope Point.
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Road pointer sign for Waipohatu, near Slope Point junction.
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Carpark map for the Waipohatu loop track.
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Waipohatu loop track carpark, near Curio Bay and Slope Point.
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Logging engine on display but kinda hidden at the Waipohatu carpark.
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Track signage at Waiopohatu.
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Waipohatu track bridge.
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Waipohatu track meandering along the stream.
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Bridge over the tannin-stained stream.
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The signed junction to go see the two Waiopohatu waterfalls.
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Upper Waipohatu Falls. Pouriwai Falls.
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The lower of the two Waipohatu waterfalls. Punehu Falls.
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Vertical crop of lower Waipohatu Falls. Punehu Falls.
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Waipohatu track steps and DoC markers.
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A tree along the Waipohatu track with a burl acting as a plant pot.
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Nz Frenzy South Island New Zealand 
March 31, 2015 at 12:27 pm |
In December 2014 the trail, especially the part after the waterfalls, was quite muddy and not in very good condition any more. At the moment it might be easier to return the same way.
January 13, 2016 at 12:07 am |
I hiked the trail in Nov 2015. The trail is an absolute mess. We kept going on towards the waterfalls hoping it would get better, but it didn’t. Fallen trees, mud, rotted wood. It was hard to enjoy the waterfalls because we had the return hike to look forward to. I visited many locations on the island solely on this book’s recommendation, but this was the only one that really disappointed me.
Save yourself, and spend more time at one of the books other recommended spots instead 😉
March 31, 2016 at 6:04 am |
We walked this track on 27/3/16 and loved it, despite the challenging conditions. It was very muddy and wet, but no real problem for experienced trampers.
In the early stages, there were large numbers of birds, including one I’d never heard before. At the higher falls, it was easy enough to edge across the rocks before jumping the stream for photo opportunities. Getting back across was more problematical. With water shoes, we could have just waded across the knee to thigh deep water. After much discussion, we opted to cross via the mossy island, which worked quite well.
Parts of the access road, the so-called Catlins Heritage Trail were overdue for grading and the jaw-clenching corrugation was definitely not fun.
March 12, 2017 at 10:15 pm |
I can confirm the trail is a muddy mess (December 2016), but apart from dirty shoes and pants it’s not a problem. I found the waterfalls and also the track to get there nice but nothing spectacular, but it might be a matter of taste.
January 7, 2018 at 8:47 am |
[…] cut our drinks break short, we went to visit McLean and Waipohatu falls – much more impressive than […]
January 7, 2019 at 2:34 pm |
We visited here in December 2018 the week after some record rainfall in the area. It was a muddy mess. We still enjoyed the falls. We also enjoyed the fact that we didn’t encounter hoards of other hikers. As others have mentioned, it is a walk through the forest, so the only ‘views’ that you get are the falls themselves. If you are looking for spectacular scenery, this is a long-ish hike for just the falls.
April 10, 2019 at 1:38 pm |
In February 2019 the conditions where better, though still a little muddy. The last part back to the car is boooring. Go to the McLean waterfall in stead.