Fantail Falls and the Haast Pass
Fantail Falls and the Haast Pass
We love a good tourist drive! There’s just something about them that turns an otherwise boring drive from point A to point B into a proper old school road trip. And being on holidays in New Zealand is the perfect time to check out one of their best. This week we swapped hiking boots for car keys, travelled the Haast Pass, and experienced a few of its beautiful waterfalls along the way.
Quick Details
Total Length: 140km
Driving Time: Around 2 hours plus stops
Grade: Easy
Best season: Spring
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
The journey along the Haast Pass had already begun for Jess and the boys, with a stop and a short hike at Roaring Billy Falls. Now they were back in the van and continuing their journey south, ready to see what else they might find along the way.
The road winds its way through Mount Aspiring National Park, following rivers through enormous mountain valleys before eventually leaving the rainforest behind for the lakes and alpine country around Wānaka. And on a wet day, apparently every mountain along the way decides it would also quite like to be a waterfall.
Jess reckons the GPS can't really be trusted through here. Not because it's going to send you careening off into the Haast River, but because whatever arrival time it gives you doesn't account for the winding road, the weather, or the fact that you'll inevitably keep pulling over to look at things.
Thunder Creek Falls
Thunder Creek is normally about as accessible as waterfalls get — DOC lists it as a 200m, five-minute return walk to a viewing platform overlooking the 28m falls. Unfortunately, nobody consulted the weather. After days of rain, the rivers were raging and the boardwalk had been taped off because of flooding. Jess had heard that you could walk along the highway and approach the falls from another direction, but considering the general state of everything, they gave that idea a miss.
On to Fantail Falls
Fortunately, the next waterfall was considerably more cooperative. A sign beside the track promised Fantail Falls in just two minutes. Finally, a hiking distance nobody can complain about.
The little track heads almost immediately into the forest, surrounded by moss-covered trees and ferns. It's the sort of forest that seems particularly suited to rain. Everything is green, damp and growing on top of something else.
Before long (I’d say somewhere between one and three minutes), the trees open onto the Haast River. Across the water, Fantail Falls tumbles down the mountainside in a series of white cascades, splitting around dark rocks before reaching the river below.
It's not the biggest waterfall Jess and the boys saw along this stretch of road. It doesn't require a long hike or some heroic climb to reach it either. You basically park the car, wander through the forest for a couple of minutes and there it is.
They wandered along the riverbank for a closer look, although after all that rain the river was running high and fast. This was definitely a stand-on-the-bank-and-admire-it kind of day. A few photos, a look around, and it was back through the forest to the car. Two-minute walk accomplished.
Back on the Road
Back in the van, the journey continued through the Haast Pass, and while the waterfalls had been worth stopping for, the road between them was becoming just as much a part of the experience.
This is one of those drives where the scenery seems to change every time you round a corner. One minute the road is buried beneath thick green rainforest, the next you're looking across a wide river valley towards mountains disappearing into the clouds.
And there are a lot of corners. The road twists its way through the mountains for much of the journey, which is another good reason to take that GPS arrival time with a grain of salt. Add in a few waterfall stops, photo stops and the occasional need to simply pull over and stare at New Zealand for a while, and the two-hour drive can very easily become an entire afternoon.
Getting There
The Haast Pass/Tioripatea Highway follows State Highway 6 for around 140km between Haast and Wānaka on New Zealand's South Island. The drive takes around two hours without stops, although we'd allow considerably longer if you want to visit the waterfalls, short walks and lookouts along the way.
Roaring Billy Falls, Thunder Creek Falls and Fantail Falls are all located along the route, with signed parking areas beside the highway.
Tips and Tricks
Allow plenty of extra time. The Haast Pass might only take around two hours on paper, but between the winding road and places you'll want to stop, chances are it'll take you much longer.
Check the weather and road conditions before you leave, particularly after heavy rain. Flooding, slips and fallen debris can affect the highway, and walking tracks may also be closed.