St James Falls

 

St James Falls

Un-officially named, road-side waterfall, St James Falls is seen from the main highway when driving towards Christchurch. Best views are found along 20 minutes Alpine Nature Walk.

Driving and walking conditions

GPS of the view point: S 42° 22'38" E 172° 24'2"
Parking: St James Walkway Car Park, Lewis Pass Rd
Vehicle type: All vehicle types Track type: Easy walking track
Road type: State HW Return track duration: 20min

Waterfall parameters

Waterfall height: 110m Type of the waterfall: Multi-step

Rating:       ⭐⭐
GPS:          S 42° 22'38" E 172° 24'2"
Parking:     St James Walkway Car Park, Lewis Pass Rd
Access:     20min return walk


Walking and driving instructions

 

St James Falls is roughly a 1-hour drive away from Hanmer Springs or 2.5-hours from Christchurch or 1.5-hours from Greymouth. The road surface is always sealed.

If you drive from either Christchurch or Greymouth, travel on the SH-7 until you reach St James Walkway car park (signposted). Long-drop toilets and shelter are available there. St James Walkway and Rolleston Pack Track start from here.

From the parking follow a well-signposted 20-minutes loop path - Alpine Nature Walk. If you walk it clockwise, the best views of the waterfall (seen from a distance) are found along the first part of the walk. 

There is an interesting side-track called Tarn Walk (1min from beginning of the loop walk) which provides a great view of the tarn.

You can also see the whole waterfall from the road when driving from Greymouth towards Lewis Pass.


Waterfalls nearby

Maruia Falls

Rating:       ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Access:     5min return walk
Driving:   82.2 km (1 hour 1 min)

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Dog Stream Waterfall

Rating:       ⭐⭐
Access:     2hrs 30min return walk
Driving:   75.5 km (1 hour 2 mins)

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