DK Eyewitness New ZealandDK Eyewitness
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness New Zealand
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated maps and regional chapters, helpful for planning a road trip between Taupo, Waitomo and Fiordland.
New Zealand · Hawke's Bay Region
Mōkau Falls
Mōkau Falls is a cascade located at the head of Mōkau Inlet in New Zealand's Lake Waikaremoana.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Mōkau Falls drops over a series of steps, inside Te Urewera National Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Mōkau Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Hawke's Bay Region are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
Getting there
- Base town Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand
- Country New Zealand
- Region Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand, Oceania
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Mōkau Falls
New Zealand
Height—Width—
Most similar
Tarawera Falls
New Zealand
Height35 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and in New Zealand too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
Most similar
Tarawera Falls
New Zealand
Height35 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and in New Zealand too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
35 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Tarawera FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Mōkau Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Moon New ZealandJamie Christian Desplaces
Guidebook
Moon New Zealand
Jamie Christian Desplaces · 2024
Built around road trips and the Great Walks, a good fit if you're combining the Milford Track with North Island falls.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet New Zealand
Lonely Planet · 2023
The 21st edition covers Fiordland, Milford Sound, Taupo and the Waikato, so it handles every NZ fall on this site.
The Rough Guide to New ZealandRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to New Zealand
Rough Guides · 2023
A current second opinion on routes and stays, with good coverage of the Waikato and the road into Milford Sound.
On the map
-38.73, 177.098
Quick answers
Where is Mōkau Falls?
Mōkau Falls is in New Zealand (Hawke's Bay Region), inside Te Urewera National Park. The nearest base is Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand. Its coordinates are -38.7300, 177.0980.
When is the best time to visit Mōkau Falls?
Peak flow is September to December. Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
What can you do at Mōkau Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Mōkau Falls?
The usual base is Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Mōkau Falls
Āniwaniwa Falls
New Zealand · 6 km away
The Āniwaniwa Falls, or Rainbow Falls, are a two-drop waterfall located at northeastern Lake Waikaremoana in…
Kerosene Creek Waterfall
New Zealand · 80 km away
Kerosene Creek Waterfall is a waterfall in New Zealand.
Tarawera Falls
New Zealand · 35 m · 80 km away
Tarawera Falls is a 65 m high waterfall on the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand's…
Full guide Huka Falls
New Zealand · 11 m · 90 km away
The Waikato River's most famous rapid-and-drop, just below Lake Taupō
Bungee jumpingJet boat