You can almost feel the grand disgorging of rock and fire that would have occurred in order to form the unique landscape housing the stunning Washpen Falls.
An 80 kilometer drive South West of Christchurch towards the Rakaia River, will bring you to the one-petrol-station settlement of Windwhistle. It is in the back hills of this area, that the land divests itself of smooth rolling consistency, and becomes a fracture within which Washpen Falls drops steeply as part of its descent towards the Hororata River.
Accessing the falls is via private land, which is open to the public for a $10 fee. It is worth every cent, as this interesting 1.5-2 hour walking trail takes you through forests of Radiata pine, bush and scrub rich with Tikouka, Harakeke, Horopito, Horoeka and native birds a plenty. You can experience earth’s upheaval as you walk under massive imposing canyon walls, nooks and cranny’s where rhyolite lava has been blown away and where Maori once made use of the indentations for shelter. Maori hunted Moa in this area, making use of the narrow high-walled terrain to trap the birds by forcing them up into the gorge where there was no escape.
Steep canyon walls provide a sense of enclosure.
The walking trail is a loop
and includes commanding views over the Canterbury Plains from one spectacular high point, along with heart-thumping peeks deep into the gorge where Washpen Falls thunders down. It is not a technical walk, although good walking shoes are essential and a moderate level of fitness would be an advantage. There are steps to negotiate, steep climbs and descents, and you can even laze in a row boat on a pond if you feel the urge to rest the legs, alongside a large covered picnic area.
Vicky from Arahi Tours, take Jo for a row on the pond.
You may not know, that Washpen Falls was used for the Hollywood movie ‘Z for Zachariah’,
a post-apocalyptic science-fiction movie filmed in 2015, where the falls (deemed to be full of radio-active waste) were used to shunt water onto a waterwheel to generate electricity. As soon as I stood in front of the falls, I recognised them, having just watched the movie recently. I went away and checked my suspicions that these indeed were the falls used, and was happy to see they were. This thundering weight of water crashes down for 22 meters and is known as a ‘horsetail’ fall - due to its shape. It sits beautifully framed by surrounding cliffs and clatters into a perfectly round pool at its feet. This, plus its private location, would have made it ideal for filming.
There is much to take in on this walk; much to explore and perfect for families and photographers alike.
Take the time!
