Percy Falls, New Zealand

I haven’t posted in a while…not sure why! So I’ll post about one of my most recent visits. In December, I had the chance to visit New Zealand again. I visited in 2011, so it’s been 13 or so years. I traveled solo on my first trip, which is always an interesting adventure. This time, I traveled with my husband and some close friends, so it takes on a different vibe.

The first waterfall we visited was right outside Wellington. We flew into Wellington and explored a few days in the area. Wellington is rather hilly but also on the drier side, so there aren’t an insane number of waterfalls in the region. I call this waterfall Percy Falls because it’s found in the Percy Scenic Reserve.

The scenic reserve is really beautiful, and I personally think it helped that it was a bit rainy that day. Rainy days seem to make waterfalls more vibrant. At the parking area, trails lead you around the reserve. There are some ponds and small lakes with ducks. The ducks are very friendly, so it sets the tone for the visit. After passing the pond, we started hiking a bit uphill, but we then came to a creek and a trail that followed the creek. The waterfall is at the end of this trail. The hike wasn’t particularly difficult and shorter than I expected.

Directions:

1. If you’re starting from Wellington, head north on SH 1. SH 1 veers to the left at a junction with SH 2.
2. Go right toward SH 2. After driving for a few kilometers on SH2, take the exit on the left signed for Maungaraki/Lower Hutt/City Centre.
3. After exiting, you’ll arrive at a roundabout. Take the first exit to your left to end up on Dowse Drive.
4. This is where Google Maps (or some other GPS) may try to direct you to the actual waterfall. Instead, very soon after exiting the roundabout, take a left onto the unnamed road that has a sign for the Percy Scenic Reserve. On the map below, I’ve set that as the main location.
5. Drive to the end of the road and you’ll find parking for the scenic reserve. Follow the signs for the trails to the falls. Some of the unsigned trails look like they may lead to the falls, but dead-end. That’s why I recommend taking a picture of the map at the start of the hike.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 65′
Length of Hike: 1-mile round-trip

Where in the World is Percy Falls?