New Zealand's most visited natural attraction is genuinely one of the most spectacular. The Waikato River, normally wide and dignified, is suddenly compressed by a narrow gorge of pale grey rhyolite and then unleashed over a ledge in a roaring wall of brilliant blue-white water. The colour — an extraordinary electric turquoise — comes from the pressure aerating the water.
A footbridge crosses the gorge just downstream of the falls, giving views straight into the churning pool below. The short walking track from the car park takes five minutes. Jet boats run below the falls from Taupo, offering a boat-level view of the falls from the river. The track also connects to the Huka Falls walkway — a pleasant 4-kilometre riverside stroll back into town.