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Story: Geological exploration

Haururu Falls

Haururu Falls

Both Henry and William Williams, early missionaries in the Bay of Islands, took a keen interest in geological features, and often guided visiting naturalists around the area. This pencil sketch of the Haururu Falls on the Waitangi River is attributed to Henry Williams who lived in the region from 1823 until his death in 1867. The waterfall is caused by a thick lava flow, and is an accessible tourist attraction today.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Williams Family Collection

Reference: MS-Papers-0190-13-053

by Henry Williams

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Geological exploration – Early European exploration, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/8132/haururu-falls (accessed 9 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Rob Gerritsen
20 April 2023
I Robert Henry Gerritsen am a local resident from the Haruru Falls Resort located at the bottom of the Old Wharf Road,Haruru Falls. My Father and Mother brought the lease title for the Haruru Falls Resort in 1986, from a Spanish Family who at that time had numerous properties dotted throughout portugal and the Mediterranean. I have two other siblings,a younger brother of fours years and a Twin brother not identical. We owned as a family the leased titles of the 15 hectare land in the Haruru Falls Basin for 40 years, I can tell you that as you stand at the bottom of the basin or on the waterfront of the resort land and look directly at the waterfall,you can easily visualise its circular structure of the basin itself I would argue the basen’s formation and circulation as an ancient meteorite impact creator or hole. We’ve measured the depth at 40 feet on low tied and mapped the whole circumference in depth and degrees I do agree that it may of then had volcanic laver flow flowing offf it where the now water itself falls into the Haruru basin. So in conclusion I would like it stated that it was originally from from a meteor falling many thousands of years even possibly Millenia ago. Thank you for providing a platform too write the article I still live in the Haruru area I’am 47 years old Thank you for reading.