Short answer: DOC closed the whole Wairere Falls Track, its car park and toilets from 7 September 2026 for safety and upgrade work. It aims to reopen the track in full by the end of November 2026, in time for summer. Explera DMC New Zealand checks the track's status before adding it to a Waikato day for a group.
Wairere Falls is 153 metres high, on the edge of the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park near Matamata.
What is closed, and why?
- The full site. Part of the track has been closed since mid-2025 because of rockfall and unstable ground. From 7 September 2026 the car park and toilets closed as well.
- The work. Crews are replacing viewing platforms and a bridge and upgrading the track, with helicopters and machinery on site.
- The target. DOC said it hopes to reopen the track in full by the end of November 2026.
- A warning. On 18 September 2026 DOC said people were walking past signs and barriers into the work site, and that the timeline cannot be promised if that continues.
What does it mean for a group?
- Do not plan it until it reopens. We add Wairere Falls to a programme only once DOC confirms the track is open.
- Respect the closure. Groups must not enter the site while it is closed. Goodwin Road, the access road, is not a through-road.
- Use another stop until then. Hobbiton, Waitomo and Hamilton are in the same region and fill the day.
- Walking time. The track passes smaller waterfalls on the way to viewpoints of the falls, so we check the group's fitness and timing before we include it.
How Explera DMC New Zealand can help
We plan Waikato days for groups. See our Hamilton and Waikato guide, our Waitomo and Hobbiton day guide, guided walking and our walking and hiking overview.
FAQ
Is the Wairere Falls Track open? DOC closed the full track, car park and toilets from 7 September 2026. It aims to reopen in full by the end of November 2026. We check the status before we quote.
Why is the track closed? For safety and upgrade work, including new platforms and a bridge, after rockfall closed part of the track in mid-2025.
How high is Wairere Falls? DOC gives the height as 153 metres.
Where is Wairere Falls? On the edge of the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park, near Matamata in the Waikato.
What can a group do instead? Hobbiton, Waitomo and Hamilton are in the same region, and we build the day around them until the track reopens.
Sources
- Wairere Falls carpark closed to allow summer opening, Department of Conservation, 3 September 2026
- Ignoring closure will shut Wairere Falls for longer, Department of Conservation, 18 September 2026
Talk to the trade desk
Explera DMC New Zealand trade desk — b2b@explera.co.nz, WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090, B2B portal b2b.expleradmc.com.
