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taupo: general info
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 Name: Huka Falls
Location: Taupo New Zealand
What's it like?
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 silica from much earlier geothermal activity. Unable to easily erode this layer, the river became confined to joints and fissures in the rock.
Over the centuries the river cut a deep narrow channel into this
hard layer until it reached a soft underlying layer which collapsed,
creating the steep-sided basin and the falls where the river plunges
over the lip into the basin.
Today the river continues this erosion process and the falls will in time work their way upstream.
The unique blue colour of the water is due to the very clear water reflecting blue light. The air bubbles in the water intensify the blue colour. The water temperature varies from 22C in the summer to 10.5C in the winter.
The volume of water passing over the falls varies between 32 and
270 cubic metres per second and depending on the flow, the falls
fluctuate in height from 7 to 9.5m.
During the 1930s a small hydro-electric power station was constructed
just below the falls. it supplied power to the Wairakei Hotel
until the mid 1950s when it was replaced by the municipal electricity
supply.
At the base of the falls there is a dangerous undertow caused
by the falling water plunging deep into the pool.
If you know of a great destination we're missing,
review it for us!!
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