Check current access status before you go, this route could be closed, it was open when I did it
This walk is part of the wider Katikati Walks network in the Kaimai Ranges behind Katikati.
Quick facts
| Location | Woodland Road, Katikati, Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park |
| Distance | 5.5km one way to the falls (11km return) |
| Time needed | 2 hours 30 minutes one way, allow the same again to return |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Route | Return, same track both ways |
| Elevation gain | 243m |
| Wet feet | Yes, two unbridged stream crossings |
| Toilets | No |
| Dogs | Not permitted, DOC track |
| Wheelchair access | No |
| Mobile coverage | Yes, at the car park |
Getting there
Head to Woodland Road, north of Katikati, and follow it right to its end. The park access point for the Ananui Falls Track is about 1km past the end of the formed road, so budget a few extra minutes to walk in before you even start the track proper. There is a small car park at the roadend.
The walk to Ananui Falls
From the car park the track follows the Waitengaue Stream up through the valley, under good bush cover the whole way. About six minutes in you hit the first crossing, a swing bridge over the Wairoa Stream, and this is usually where your feet first get wet if the water is up.
After roughly an hour of steady walking you reach the site of the old Waitengaue Hut. The hut itself is long gone but it is still a flat, sheltered spot with plenty of water close by, worth a break here even if you are not stopping the night.
About three minutes past the old hut site is the second crossing, over the Waitengaue Stream itself. In summer you can often rock hop across both crossings without getting wet much past the ankles. After heavy rain both streams can rise fast and become genuinely difficult, so check conditions before you head out if there has been recent rain.
From the second crossing it is about thirty minutes up the valley to the junction, marked with a sign where the track meets the Waitengaue River proper. Keep heading up the valley from here.
The last stretch starts with a solid climb, about 150 metres up to the turn off, and the first twenty minutes of it is the hardest part of the whole walk. You climb through small stands of young kauri, most of them around 60 years old, and you get glimpses of the falls through the trees near the top of the climb.
At the top of the climb the track turns off to the right for the final 75 metres down to Ananui Falls. This last bit can be very slippery when wet, so take it slowly, especially the last 10 metres to the viewing spot.
What you will see on the Ananui Falls walk
Ananui Falls drops around 106 metres, and standing at the edge looking straight down the drop is the payoff for the walk in. The bush along the way is classic North Island forest, kauri and ferns lining most of the track and keeping the sun off you for almost the whole route. Near the top of the climb you get a clear view out towards Tauranga through a break in the trees.
Who this walk is for
This suits reasonably fit walkers who do not mind wet feet and a bit of a climb near the end. It is not a walk for young children or anyone after an easy stroll, the distance and the stream crossings rule that out. Waterfall fans and anyone keen on kauri forest will get the most out of it.
When to go
Summer and drier months are the better bet, the two stream crossings are usually just a rock hop then rather than a proper wade. After heavy rain the streams can rise quickly and the crossings become harder and more dangerous, so check the weather and recent rainfall before you commit to the full walk in.
Important stuff
More recently, soil testing across the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park found the park free of the kauri dieback pathogen. Check the current DOC and Western Bay of Plenty District Council status before you head out, rather than relying on older closure notices.
Dogs are not permitted anywhere on this DOC track network.
The two stream crossings, over the Wairoa Stream and the Waitengaue Stream, are unbridged and can become difficult or dangerous after heavy rain. The last few metres to the edge of the falls are also slippery when wet, take care there.
Common questions
Is the Ananui Falls Track open?
Access has been affected by kauri dieback rules in the past. Check the current DOC and council status before you go, since recent testing found the park free of the pathogen and this may change access.
Do you get wet feet on this walk?
Yes. There are two unbridged stream crossings, the Wairoa Stream and the Waitengaue Stream. In summer you can often rock hop across.
Where is Ananui Falls?
In the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park, reached from Woodland Road north of Katikati.
My honest take
I walked this track up the Waitengaue Stream valley and it is a proper bush walk, not a stroll. The swing bridge six minutes is awesome, first wet feet of the day. The old Waitengaue Hut site is a nice spot to stop, flat and shaded, though there is not much firewood around if you were thinking of camping there.
The climb near the end is the part that will get your heart rate up, twenty minutes of solid uphill through young kauri, and I walked quietly through that section since deer sign was everywhere. Standing on the edge of Ananui Falls and looking straight down the 106 metre drop made the whole walk in worth it. Just watch your footing on that last slippery stretch, and keep an eye out for the farmer’s dog on Woodland Road on the way in.
Other walks nearby
Back to Katikati Walks.
