Kirikau waterfall is a small, hidden fall in the Ruapehu district, rated 4.0 from its one review. There is no marked track: as the reviewer puts it, you make your own way through the bush to the river. Unmarked waterfall walks are a different proposition to the signed tracks of the national parks. The usual approach is to follow the river, keeping it in earshot where you can — the water both guides you and warns you when it is rising. Expect rough going: supplejack, fern and mud underfoot, and streams that come up fast after rain. Wear boots with good grip, allow more time than the distance suggests, check the weather first, and let someone know your plans. The reward is solitude that groomed tracks rarely offer. It is a quiet corner of the Ruapehu backcountry, best suited to walkers who like their waterfalls earned.