Jess is a Wanderer left the city confines of Rotorua and headed further around the lake to Okere Falls Scenic Reserve. This is a DOC (Department of Conservation) site and home to four waterfalls.
Arriving at Okere Falls, you're not sure what lies beyond the bush but boy is it exciting when you get there! Rushing water (we think more than usual because of recent rainfall) has created these enormous rapids that would sweep you away in a flash!
You can walk the track (or along the road) from Okere Falls down to Trout Pool Falls and see plenty of gushing rapids, other waterfalls and caves along the way.
You can even get a view of the nutty whitewater rafters who are descending the giant 7m drop if you time it right. Be careful if you go down the steps to the old power station as the bottom was flooded when we were there and the swirling water was quite vicious!
The story behind the cave is that during war times, women and children were lowered down the rock face into the cave to take shelter. There isn't a lot of substantiating evidence but it's an interesting legend nonetheless.
Not sure how I'd feel about being cooped up in here for an extended amount of time!!
See more photos here. Here are some local cave monsters we found:
