Silky Water

An iconic picture of these falls by Nelson photographer Craig Potton has made them one of the best known places to visit in the Catlins, Southland. Craig’s picture has fascinated me for years. When the opportunity came to revisit the falls after a gap of more than 20 years, I was intrigued to know if they would live up to my perceived image.

Purakaunui Falls - Catlins

There was less water flowing over the falls than I had hoped for. This is not surprising considering the long dry summer New Zealand has experienced this year. It was cool when we arrived just before 10.00 am and the sun was trying to break through the early morning mist. It was quite dark in the bush that surrounds the cascades.

This image was taken with the camera mounted on a tripod and set at ISO 200 for 1.3 sec at F11. I wanted to capture some of the sensation portrayed in the famous Craig Potton photograph, and to a degree I think I succeeded. To get this image required a scramble over slippery rocks near the viewing platform.

Pukauranui Falls are just one of several interesting cascades in the area which are worth visiting. Over the next few days we photographed them too.