Rainbow Falls Kerikeri

Waianiwaniwa drops twenty-seven metres in one clean fall over a basalt lip on the Kerikeri River, and the name - the water of the rainbow - refers to what the spray does in morning sun, which is genuinely reliable rather than a marketing claim if you come early enough on a bright day. There are viewing platforms at the top and, down a set of steps, at the base, where a pool takes the fall. The real reason to allow more than twenty minutes is the Kerikeri River Track: about four kilometres downstream through bush and past Wharepuke Falls to the Kerikeri Basin, where the Stone Store of 1836 and Kemp House of 1822 stand - the oldest stone and wooden buildings in the country. Walking the falls and the basin as one route is much better than driving to each. Swimming happens at the base pool in summer and is unsupervised.

What you actually see

• The 27-metre drop - a single clean fall over basalt.
• The rainbow - in morning sun on the spray, most days.
• The river track - four kilometres down to the Kerikeri Basin.
• The base pool - swum in summer, unpatrolled.

When to go

Morning for the rainbow effect. Any season; after heavy rain the fall is much heavier and the track muddy. October to April for swimming.

Honest expectations

Twenty minutes if you only see the falls. The steps to the base are steep. Swimming is unsupervised. The track can be slippery and closes in parts after storms.

Nearby

The Stone Store and Kemp House are at the Kerikeri Basin downstream; Puketi Forest is west.