Tarawera Falls, Waterfall in Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve, New Zealand.

Tarawera Falls is a waterfall in Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve where water travels underground through ancient lava caves before emerging on a cliff face. The water drops 65 meters down in a powerful cascade that dominates the rock wall.

The waterfall formed following a major eruption of Mount Tarawera when lava flows covered older volcanic deposits and reshaped the landscape. This volcanic event created the caves and cliff formations that the river now flows through.

Te Arawa and Ngāti Awa have traditional associations with the falls, and Ngāti Rangitihi, one of the eight Te Arawa groups, are the current guardians. They consider the waterfall site sacred. Migrating eels can sometimes be seen on the western side of the falls, searching for a way further upstream.

Access requires permission from a local information centre before you can drive on private forest roads to reach the trailhead. The walk from there is short, making it possible to visit in a morning or afternoon.

The river disappears into the rock and travels completely hidden underground before reappearing high on the cliff wall. This hidden journey of the water creates the unusual appearance of water seeming to fall from inside the stone itself.