The Hūnua Falls are on the Wairoa River in the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Containing ...

of New Zealand, near

Hūnua Hūnua () is a small settlement in the rural outskirts of south Auckland, New Zealand. Hūnua is east of Papakura, from Hūnua Falls and lies at the foot of the Hunua Ranges, from where Auckland obtains most of its water supply. The litera ...

. The land around was bought by Auckland for water supplies between 1940 and 1960. The mean flow of water downstream at Clevedon is /s, but can vary greatly, as illustrated i
photographs showing the falls in winter and summer

Natural features

The Wairoa River falls over a basalt

lava plug A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged mag ...

. Volcanic tuff rings and

lava bombs A volcanic bomb or lava bomb is a mass of partially molten rock (tephra) larger than 64 mm (2.5 inches) in diameter, formed when a volcano ejects viscous fragments of lava during an eruption. Because volcanic bombs cool after they l ...

are visible in the east wall of the waterfall. Several herbs have been identified near the falls - water starwort ( Callitriche petriei), Crassula hunua, water pennywort (

Hydrocotyle ''Hydrocotyle'', also called floating pennywort, water pennywort, Indian pennywort, dollar weed, marsh penny, thick-leaved pennywort and even white rot is a genus of prostrate, perennial aquatic or semi-aquatic plants formerly classified in the f ...

microphylla), wood-sorrel (

Oxalis magellanica ''Oxalis magellanica'' or snowdrop wood-sorrel is an ''Oxalis'' species found in Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Tasmania.Gardner, A. G. (2013). ''Using molecular phylogenetics to unravel morphological shifts, niche transitions, and geographic ...

). The Wairoa has smaller falls. Lily Falls (also known as Wairoa Falls) were described as high and downstream from Hūnua, in the Wairoa Gorge.
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 th
Upper Lookout Walk
The cliffs are used for abseiling.NZ Encyclopaedia - waterfalls
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References

External links

1:50,000 map

Waterfalls of the Auckland Region Parks in the Auckland Region Wairoa River (Auckland) catchment Franklin Local Board Area {{Auckland-geo-stub