Hūnua Falls

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Hūnua Falls
Hunua Falls.jpg
Hunua Falls
Location Hūnua
Coordinates 37°04′07″S175°05′23″E / 37.06861°S 175.08972°E / -37.06861; 175.08972
Type Horsetail
Elevation60 metres (200 ft)
Total height30 metres (98 ft)

The Hūnua Falls are on the Wairoa River in the Auckland Region of New Zealand, near Hūnua. The land around was bought by Auckland for water supplies between 1940 and 1960. [1] The mean flow of water downstream at Clevedon is 2.6 m3 (570 imp gal)/s, [2] but can vary greatly, as illustrated in photographs showing the falls in winter and summer.

Contents

Natural features

The Wairoa River falls over a basalt lava plug which has intruded up a fault line. Volcanic tuff rings and lava bombs are visible in the east wall of the waterfall. [3]

Several herbs have been identified near the falls - water starwort (Callitriche petriei), Crassula hunua, water pennywort (Hydrocotyle microphylla and Hydrocotyle hydrophila), wood-sorrel (Oxalis magellanica). [4]

The Wairoa has smaller falls. Lily Falls (Unofficially known as Wairoa Falls) [5] were described as 70 ft (21 m) high [6] and 3 mi (4.8 km) downstream from Hūnua, in the Wairoa Gorge. [7] A photograph appeared in 1901.

Access and recreational activities

As well as tracks to the Hunua Ranges, there are two 30 minute walks; The Lookout Walk and the Upper Lookout Walk. The cliffs are used for abseiling. [8]

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References

  1. Auckland City Council. "Hunua Ranges Regional Park" (PDF).
  2. "Wairoa Water Quantity". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  3. Auckland City Council. "The Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (notified 30 September 2013)" (PDF).
  4. "Waterfall Floras of the North". New Zealand Regional Botanical Society Journals. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  5. "Wairoa Falls". waterfalls.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  6. "THE HUNUA AND ITS ATTRACTIONS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  7. "A SUMMER AND WINTER CONTRAST AT HUNUA AUCKLAND GOODS SHEDS NEARING COMPLETION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  8. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. "Europeans and waterfalls". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2025.