© Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 
© Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Whakapapa Village
Taranaki Falls Loop
Easy 6.0 kmloop 2 hr loop ↑ 146 m
Whakapapa Village
Tawhai Falls Walk
Easiest Short walk Filming location
A ten-minute forest stroll to a lava-lip waterfall and the plunge pool used as Gollum’s Pool.
800 mreturn
20 min returnwalking time
↑ 18 mclimb
962 mhigh point
Tawhai Falls Walk © Blueromulan · CC BY-SA 3.0 
© Nick Bramhall · CC BY-SA 2.0 Elevation profile
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What you’ll see
Beech forestLava-lip waterfall
The walk
A wide, gentle track through beech and toatoa forest to a lookout above the 13 m falls, with a rougher side path down to the pool. One of the easiest Lord of the Rings locations in the country.
Start. Tawhai Falls car park, SH48 (4 km below Whakapapa Village)
Snow & season
Combine with
© Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 © Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Whakapapa Village
Tama Lakes Track
Intermediate 17 kmreturn 5–6 hr return ↑ 686 m
© Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Whakapapa Village
Silica Rapids Track
Easy 7.0 kmloop 2.5 hr loop ↑ 276 m