Maketu Waterfall — Attraction in Franklin

Access road to the waterfall is not clear as there are no sign boards whatsoever! I followed Google maps and had to do some guess work to park the vehicle and find the way. Start from the cemetery area, turn right, and walk under the big tree then you will see the footpath climbing up. After this little climb and then a descend from another old graveyard area. Altogether it is about 5-10 minutes' walk and then you will see the waterfall. It is an impressive, cascading waterfall with a big waterhole. The waterhole looked a bit muddy and there were no signs of swimming so I'm not sure if it is safe to swim or not. You need to take extra care after the rain as the road gets muddy and very slippery. Use hiking boots if it is rainy season, as walking or running shoes in wet weather are not ideal. There are heaps of lovely fantail birds around, who will follow you...

Nice little pit stop if not much to do. If you're a more adventurous hiker than us I can imagine you could spend a lot more time here. Park on the road just outside the cemetery.

There's a big black stone that marked the top of the cemetery, look to the right and follow that path along. You'll pass two more cemetery stones in the woods at the top of a hill, follow the path downwards and you should start hearing running water.

For those of you that use What3Words... Waterfall viewing point: Forging.sidewalk.headers

Entrance to the...

This was our first stop of our New Zealand adventure. We arrived the day prior and was still getting used to the timezone change from California. To help us push through the day, we hiked down to Maketu Waterfall and found it absolutely stunning. The waterfall is located in the Bay of Plenty region and is surrounded by lush native bush. The waterfall cascades down a steep cliff face into a deep pool below, creating a picturesque scene. The surrounding area is also home to a variety of native birds and wildlife, making it a great spot for...