Bells Falls is roughly a 45 minutes’ drive away from New Plymouth or 50 minutes’ from Stratford. The road surface is sealed, except for the last one km which is a gravel road.

From New Plymouth travel south-west on the SH-45 for 32 km, then turn left into Puniho Rd and stay on it for the next 13.7km until you reach a car park at the end of the road. There are no facilities here (no toilets).

From the parking follow a tramping Puniho Track for 1.5-2 hrs. This part of the track is a gentle uphill walk, which is relatively easy but has lots of tree roots on it, hence be very careful after rain. In 2 hours, you reach a track’s junction. Here, turn left into Around the Mountain Circuit (Stony River Track) which is the most challenging part of the journey. The track descends to the Maero Stream, then ascends; then descends to the Turehu Stream and climbs again. Two stream crossings are required which could be difficult/impossible after a heavy rain. Many thanks to DOC who maintain this track and provide lots of stairs, at least one rung-type ladder and a chain to help with descending to the Maero Stream.

Then the track reaches the Stony River and follows it for some time. This part of the track provides a beautiful view of Mt Taranaki and has a few stream/river crossings. Again could be difficult/impossible after a heavy rain. Finally, you reach a track’s junction - Holly Hut (40min) and Bells Falls (10min). From here, follow an easy 10-minutes one-way Bells Falls track which brings you to the waterfall’s base. It’s a nice spot to stretch your legs and have lunch. A closer approach is possible, with care, just follow an un-official track, and you’ll reach a better view of the waterfall. Return via the same track.

The option above is recommended for experienced hikers only. The total walking time is 8-9 hours. If you are not sure about weather condition, or whether you can reach the falls and return within a day – turn back and come back next time when the weather is better!

Bells Falls track is part of the Around the Mountain Circuit and (usually) the falls are reached on a second day, hence if you are an experienced tramper, you might be interested to do this challenging 5-days’ track which gives you an opportunity to visit lots of waterfalls along the way (refer to the Waterfalls Nearby section below and to the TOPO maps).