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 · Ashburton District
Sharplin Falls
Sharplin Falls is a waterfall on Bowyers Stream in the Staveley district of mid-Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. The waterfall is located within a scenic reserve, and there is a popular walking track to a viewing platform.
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.
Sharplin Falls drops over a series of steps on the Bowyers Stream. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Ashburton District, New Zealand. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
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 Sharplin Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Ashburton District 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 Ashburton District, New Zealand
- Country New Zealand
- Region Ashburton District, New Zealand, Oceania
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Sharplin 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
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 Sharplin 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
-43.62513, 171.40927
Quick answers
Where is Sharplin Falls?
Sharplin Falls is in New Zealand (Ashburton District). The nearest base is Ashburton District, New Zealand. Its coordinates are -43.6251, 171.4093.
When is the best time to visit Sharplin 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 Sharplin Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Sharplin Falls?
The usual base is Ashburton District, New Zealand. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there.
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