Waitonga Falls is the highest waterfall in Tongariro National Park, a 39-metre drop at the foot of Mount Ruapehu. The track starts from the parking area 11 km up Ohakune Mountain Road and passes through mountain beech and kaikawaka (mountain cedar) forest. Visitors describe an easy hike on well-maintained trails, with a long boardwalk leading to the falls. On clear, calm days Ruapehu is reflected in the Rotokawa pools, part of an alpine wetland. Orchids grow along the banks, mistletoe hangs in the beech trees, and sundews and bladderworts grow in the wetland.
One visitor said the viewing spot is about a five-minute walk away, and warned that the rocks can be slippery with ice. Another said you can walk up from the end of the official track for a better view. The weather in the park is changeable all year, so the DOC site advises preparing for all conditions. No dogs are allowed, and flying a drone without a permit is prohibited. Our pick in Tongariro National Park for a boardwalk walk to the park's highest falls.