The Waikato river water roars and rumbles at speed through a
narrow ravine.
Huka Falls, one of NZ's most spectacular natural attractions,
has been created over millions of years. Travelling from Lake
Taupo, the Waikato River enters a shallow ravine of hard volcanic
rock.
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 confirmed to joints and
fissures in this 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.
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 volume of water passing over the falls varies
between 32 and 270 cubic metres per second. Depending on the flow
the falls fluctuate in height from 7 to 9.5 metres.
To achieve this cache you must email the following details to cache
owner. Do not log the answers to questions 2 or 3 on the site. Once
you have approval from cache owner you can log as found.
1. Take a photo with yourself, GPS and falls clearly shown and post
when you have permission to log find. A photo is required as part
of this cache..
2. Find out what the water temperature varies between.
3. Answer this question. In the 1930's what was constructed just
below the falls?
Some cachers have advised they could not see the info boards as
they have been replaced - some are to the sides of the path (at no
stage leave the formed tracks!). HOwever, if you do not find the
info on the info boards you will need to do your own research -
that's part of an earth cache. PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST GET EMAIL
PERMISSION FROM THE CACHE OWNER BEFORE YOU CAN LOG THIS AS A FIND.
NUMBER 5 OF THE EARTHCACHE GUIDELINES STATES Logging of EarthCache
sites must involve visitors undertaking some educational task that
relates to the Earth science at the site. . Taking a photograph
alone, does NOT meet these logging guidelines. However, found logs
on the website without photo of gps, cacher and falls WILL be
deleted.