Charlie’s Rock Waterfall is roughly a 3.5-hours’ drive away from Auckland or 30-minutes from Paihia. The road surface is always sealed.

Make your own way to Kerikeri. In Kerikeri cross the Kerikeri River via Heritage Bypass and turn right into Waipapa Rd. On the first roundabout turn left into Landing Rd and follow it for 1km until you reach a bridge over the Waipapa Stream. Do not cross the stream. Leave your car at a huge car park (on your right) which has a sign ‘Waipapa Landing’. There are toilets and picnic tables available here. It’s a very nice spot to have lunch.

From the car park, cross the road and walk along Landing Rd (direction: towards Kerikeri Centre) for the next 100m until you see a sign ‘Welcome to Charlie's Rock Walkway’. Turn right onto the side-track and follow it for the next 10-15 minutes. The first part of the track is relatively easy. In a few minutes you reach the Waiapa Stream – from here you need to walk upstream until you see the waterfall. The second part of the track is a bit more challenging – it has lots of stones on the track which can be slippery and requires as easy climbing at the end. Return via the same track. We know some people return via a private orchard. We don’t know whether it’s allowed or not, so we would recommend keeping to the official track.

Among the locals, it’s an extremely popular swimming hole. Hence, don’t forget a towel.

Both the base and the top of the waterfall are easily accessible. Just find the right spot to take a good picture.