Huka Falls facts for kids
| Location | Taupo, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Type | Cascade |
| Average flow rate | 220 m³/s (220,000 litres/second) |
| Watercourse | Waikato River and Lake Taupo |
The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that drains Lake Taupo in New Zealand.
A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon only 15 metres across. The canyon is carved into lake floor sediments laid down before Taupo's Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago.
The volume of water flowing through often approaches 220,000 litres per second. The flow rate is regulated by Mercury NZ Ltd through the Taupo Control Gates as part of their hydro system planning, with Waikato Regional Council dictating flows during periods of downstream flooding in the Waikato River catchment. Mercury NZ have ability to control the flows between 50,000 litres per second (or 50 m3/s) and 319,000 litres per second (319 m3/s).
At the top of the falls is a set of small waterfalls dropping over about 8 metres. The final stage of the falls is over a 6-metre drop, raised to an effective 11m fall by the depth of the water. The falls are a popular tourist attraction, being close to Taupo and readily accessible from State Highway One.
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The narrow canyon, with the tourist bridge visible at the top left.
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Looking upstream against the fast and powerful current of Huka Falls
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Jetboat near the base of Huka Falls
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The Huka falls and the observation point
