Last updated November 2026
Mōtū Falls is a 5 m waterfall on the Mōtū River in the hills inland from Gisborne, beside Whinray Scenic Reserve. DOC calls the falls spectacular, and you can see them from the car park and picnic area without walking a track at all.
The car park is on Mōtū Falls Road, 5 km past Mōtū township. A 42 m suspension bridge crosses the river just downstream, leading onto the easy Whinray Scenic Reserve Track, an old route that runs through native forest. It makes a good day trip from Gisborne, about 59 km away in a straight line.
Practical Information
- Start
- Mōtū Falls car park, Mōtū Falls Road, 5 km past Mōtū township
- Distance from the city
- About 59 km from Gisborne
- Walking time
- None needed to see the falls; the Whinray track is about 30 min for a short walk, or about 2 hr 30 min (DOC), walked as a return trip from either end
- Grade
- Easy, suitable for all ages (Whinray Scenic Reserve Track)
- Height of the falls
- 5 m
- Track type
- One way; return the way you came
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Mōtū Falls
You can see the Mōtū River dropping over the falls from the car park and picnic area, and LINZ topographic data records the drop at 5 m. One waterfall guide classes it as a cataract rather than a tall plunge, and the same guide points to the suspension bridge as the best place to look back at the falls.
Whinray Scenic Reserve covers 429 hectares of primary podocarp and hardwood forest with tall kahikatea, rimu, tōtara, miro and mataī. DOC lists bellbird, tūī, tomtit, kererū and ruru as the birds you are most likely to hear, with rifleman, weka, kākā, falcon and North Island brown kiwi present but less often seen.
The reserve carries the name of James Whinray, a cabinet maker and Gisborne Borough Councillor who persuaded the government to set the forest aside as settlers cleared the upper Mōtū valley from the 1890s.
The Bridge and the Old Track
People have crossed the river here for a long time. The first bridge went up in 1885, a single-span tōtara bridge replaced it in 1913, most of that was taken down in 1955, and Cyclone Bola swept away the abutments in 1988. The current 42 m suspension bridge opened in 1994 after a big fundraising effort by the local community.
The track on the far side is thought to have started as a Māori trail. It later became a bridle path and, around 1913, a dray track used to drive sheep and cattle between Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty, until use declined after the Mōtū coach road opened.
Today it is the Whinray Scenic Reserve Track. DOC describes it as well benched and easy. For a short visit, cross the bridge and walk as far as you like along the old road, about 30 minutes, crossing a number of small streams through the forest.
DOC gives about 2 hours 30 minutes for the track, which runs between the Mōtū Falls car park and the Marumoko Road car park, and is an easy downhill walk if you start from Marumoko Road. It is not a loop: DOC says it can be completed as a return trip from both ends.
Kiwi Conservation in the Reserve
The Whinray Ecological Charitable Trust was formed in 1999 to bring back North Island brown kiwi, and it runs predator control through the reserve. Coloured triangles beside the track mark trap lines and biodiversity work areas. They are not walking routes, so don’t follow them or disturb the traps.
Getting There
DOC places Whinray Scenic Reserve about halfway between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki. From Gisborne, one waterfall guide’s directions take State Highway 2 north to Matawai, Motu Road to Mōtū village, then Mōtū Falls Road to the car park on the left, with the last 5 km on gravel. Check DOC before you go for current track information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to walk to see Mōtū Falls?
No. DOC says you can see the falls from the car park and picnic area.
How high are the falls?
About 5 m, according to LINZ topographic data.
Where do I park?
At the Mōtū Falls car park on Mōtū Falls Road, 5 km past Mōtū township. The reserve can also be reached from Marumoko Road.
How long is the Whinray Scenic Reserve Track?
About 30 minutes for a short walk from the bridge. DOC gives about 2 hours 30 minutes for the track, which can be walked as a return trip from either end. It is graded easy and suits all ages.
Is the track a loop?
No. DOC says it’s not a loop track: return the way you came.
What birds might I see?
DOC lists bellbird, tūī, tomtit, kererū and ruru as common, with kiwi, kākā, rifleman, weka and falcon less common.
How far is it from Gisborne?
About 59 km in a straight line, in the hills about halfway between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki.
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Related links 2
- Department of Conservation: Whinray Scenic Reserve Track: track information, alerts and status. Track information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Living Heritage: The Whinray Scenic Reserve: the history of the reserve, the old track and the bridges over the Mōtū River.