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Hiking

Pūrākaunui Falls: a short forest walk in the Catlins

ReGear

Plan the Pūrākaunui Falls walk: a short return through beech forest, upper and lower waterfall views, parking, toilets and accessible-route details.

Pūrākaunui Falls cascading over three tiers in Catlins forest.

Pūrākaunui Falls is a useful Catlins stop when you want a forest walk and a waterfall without taking up most of the day. The lower view reveals the broad, three-tiered cascade.

On this page: Quick facts · Start · Maps · Route · What to bring

Quick facts

  • Allow about 20 minutes return, plus viewing time.
  • Roughly 1 km return along DOC’s mapped track.
  • Wheelchair access reaches the upper platform; the track then descends.
  • Car park, toilets and picnic area. No dogs on the track.

Getting to the start

From the Papatowai Highway, follow the signs onto Pūrākaunui Falls Road, 6.3 km south of Owaka, or Warnock Road, 10.8 km south of Owaka.

Location and route maps

Orange highlights follow DOC’s recorded track on real aerial imagery. Open either map for a closer look.

Purakaunui Falls location relative to Owaka on real aerial imagery, with north up.
Purakaunui Falls mapped walking track highlighted orange on real aerial imagery, with its entrance marked and north up.

DOC track information and official map

What the walk is like

  1. Enter the forest track from the signed car park.
  2. Walk through mature beech, then mixed beech and podocarp forest.
  3. Stop at the upper platform, or continue down to see the tiered falls.
  4. Return to the same car park.

Effort and conditions

A short outing with a descent and climb back if you visit the lower viewpoint. Choose the upper platform if that better suits your group.

What I would bring

I would bring grippy shoes and a rain jacket, with water and a snack for the picnic area. Keep hands free on damp sections and leave space for others at the viewpoints.

Planning your return

Allow time for photos before driving on. Use the toilets here, take rubbish away and keep children close near water. Check the linked DOC page for alerts before travelling.

More walks to compare

Sources and photo credits

Sources checked 1 October 2026.

Maps: LINZ Basemaps and imagery contributors, CC BY 4.0. Track geometry: Crown copyright, Department of Conservation, DOC Tracks dataset, CC BY 4.0. Location labels and route highlights added.

Photo: Purakaunui Falls In Caitlins New Zealand.jpg — Mark Oliver Dittrich. Released into public domain on his behalf.. Public domain. Resized for display.