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taupo: general info
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Name: Huka Falls
Address:
City: Taupo New Zealand
What's it like?
The Huka Falls are situated on the Waikato River 2kms north of Lake Taupo.
The falls are 11m (35ft) high and a bridge
crosses them to a number of vantage points.
Take a look at these falls on a day off in Taupo by taking a leisurely stroll through
Spa Park and along
the Waikato river up to the falls themselves. It takes about 1/2hr one way. You can catch the Hot Bus back every hour or hire a bike and go exploring.
Huka Falls, one of New Zealand's most spectacular natural attractions, has been created over millions of years.
An ancient lake once covered most of what is today the Waikato River Valley. Eventually the lake drained and the Waikato River eroded through soft mudstone and pumice until it struck a layer hardened by silican from much earlier geothermal activity. Unable to easily erode this layer, the river became confined to joinets and fissures in the rock.
Over the centuries the river cut a deep narrow channel into this hard laryer until it reached a soft underlying layer which collapsed, creating the steep-sided basin and the falls where the river plunges ver the lip into the basin.
Today the river continues this erosion process and the falls will, in time, work their way upstream.
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