THE WAINUI FALLS WALK IN GOLDEN BAY

Wainui Falls, Golden Bay, is a short and relatively easy walk up a river valley, ending up at a picturesque swimming hole and waterfall. To get to the start point, you drive over the hill from Tata Beach and past the bay and tidal estuary of the Wainui River.

The start point is just off the main road, a little further back up the valley. This summer, when we visited, the carpark was surprisingly full. Aside from the time of year, this may have been due to a new cafe someone had set up in the garden of a farmhouse. We didn’t visit, but it looked like a nice spot under the trees. The trail has only recently reopened - it was closed for perhaps a year (or two) due to some major slips in the valley.

With the volume of holidaymakers and families milling around or heading back down the valley, we felt like summer day tippers. The path crossed a few fields, then into the bush. Following the river, our walk continued past numerous swimming holes and stopping off points. While overall the trail is level, there were a few sections where it was hewn from the cliffs high above the river. 

At one for the swimming holes we stopped for lunch. Then, on from there, the trail crossed a large swing bridge before continuing a few hundred meters to the falls. Last time we were here more people were swimming, however on this most recent visit, the waterholes’ only occupants were two Whio (Blue Duck). Seeing the birds was the real highlight of the walk, as these large smokey grey-blue ducks are quite rare. I had seen them before in the Milford Sound, but this was the first time I’d encountered a Whio in the Golden Bay region. The ducks seemed oblivious to us and the various walkers that were coming and going to the falls - they just got on with munching the rock algae in the spray of the falls.

In the area nearby, Wainui beach is one of my favourites. It marks the start of the Abel Tasman and requires a short walk to get from the carpark to the coast. Usually there are very few people at this beach, which is best at high tide. However, if you walk out towards Taupo Point, there are also some good swimming spots any tide.

Overall, Wainui Falls is an easy and pleasant stroll with a distance of about 2km each way - roughly an hour and a half all up. The Whio at the falls were a real bonus, but there was plenty of other birdlife - notably Pīwakawaka (Fantail) and the ubiquitous Tui.

Photos taken on a Fujifilm GS645 and Ektar 100 film