Last updated November 2026
The Waipohatu Waterfalls Track climbs through Catlins rainforest to two waterfalls and back down to a picnic area, on a circuit DOC times at about 3 hours.
DOC grades it Advanced and calls it a rugged tramping track, so this is a walk for people with some fitness and good footwear rather than a quick roadside stop. It starts from the Waipohatu picnic area at the end of a short gravel road off Tokanui-Haldane Road, in the Waipohatu Conservation Area.
The track is about 55 km from Invercargill in a straight line, roughly an hour’s drive. Check DOC before you go.
Practical Information
- Start
- Waipohatu picnic area and car park, 1 km along gravel Waipohatu Road, off Tokanui-Haldane Road
- Distance from the city
- About 55 km from Invercargill (DOC gives about 70 km by road, roughly 1 hour)
- Walking time
- About 3 hr
- Track length
- About 6.5 km loop
- Grade
- Advanced
- Track type
- Tramping track
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Waipohatu Waterfalls
DOC describes the route as a rugged tramping track through rainforest up to two “breath-taking” waterfalls, before it returns down through the bush to the picnic area.
A Catlins walking guide calls it about a 6.5 km loop and names the falls: Pouriwai Falls, the higher of the two, drops in a single curtain onto a rocky pool, while Punehu Falls, lower down, is wider and more open.
The forest is temperate rainforest, a mix of regrowth and older trees, thick with moss, ferns and tree ferns. The Catlins Coast visitor map calls it the “waterfalls wilderness loop”.
If you only want the waterfalls, the same guide notes you can walk out and back from the upper car park instead of doing the full loop, which takes about 2 hours.
Starting From the Picnic Area
The Waipohatu picnic area is a pleasant place to begin or finish. DOC lists camping spaces, picnic tables and a toilet there, and a historic diesel hauler sits on display in the lower picnic area.
The Forest Walk, an easy, wheelchair-accessible 30-minute walk (DOC), starts at the picnic area, crosses the Waipohatu stream and comes out at a second car park. From there you can carry on up the Waipohatu Waterfalls Track, follow the road back down, or return through the forest.
Track Conditions and Planning
This is an Advanced track, so allow the full 3 hours and tell someone your plans. The Catlins walking guide warns of mud, some steep and poorly stepped ground and possibly some scrambling; the final descents to the falls are short, steep, rooted and slippery when wet, and the best view of Pouriwai Falls needs a stepping-stone crossing of the stream.
Use Plan My Walk to check the weather and track alerts before you set out, and check DOC before you go.
Getting There
From Invercargill, DOC’s route follows the Southern Scenic Route, then Fortrose-Otara Road and Otara-Haldane Road to Tokanui-Haldane Road. Continue to Waipohatu Road and follow the gravel road for 1 km to the car park.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Waipohatu Waterfalls Track: track information, alerts and status. Track information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Forest Walk (Waipohatu): the easy loop from the picnic area, and the facilities there.
Plan My Walk: weather, track alerts and a trip plan to share before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Waipohatu Waterfalls Track take?
DOC gives about 3 hours for the circuit; a Catlins walking guide suggests about 2.5 hours for the full loop.
How hard is it?
DOC grades it Advanced and describes it as a rugged tramping track.
How many waterfalls are there?
Two. A Catlins walking guide names them Pouriwai Falls and Punehu Falls.
Is there a shorter option?
The Forest Walk from the picnic area is an easy 30-minute walk that comes out at a second car park. For the falls only, you can walk out and back from the upper car park, about 2 hours.
Are there toilets?
DOC lists a toilet, picnic tables and camping spaces at the Waipohatu area.
How do I get there from Invercargill?
About 70 km by road, roughly an hour, via the Southern Scenic Route and Tokanui-Haldane Road to Waipohatu Road, then 1 km of gravel to the car park.
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