Kitekite Waterfall

PSA: Kitekite is pronounced like Kitty Kitty

A friend recommended that I go see Kitekite Waterfall because it is really close to Piha Beach. After such a long day at the beach, I was exhausted. However, the motto for abroad is "just say yes" meaning that I dragged my butt to go see this waterfall.

New Zealand is a bit different than America in the fact that it makes you work for the good stuff. This was no different. The hike was fairly short, about 20 minutes, but after swimming with the undertow of the ocean all day, my legs were sore. When I got closer, I could hear the sound of the waterfall. I think this may actually be the first waterfall I've ever seen. Kitekite is 131 feet tall. I Googled it. It was stunning.

Sticking with my motto, I had to go swim in it! The water was absolutely freezing. It did not occur to me until my foot slipped and I fell in the water completely that the water is constantly running. This means that it has no chance for the sun to warm it up. The adrenaline from this exciting experience kept me warm enough to swim over to the fall. I was not expecting the water to be crashing down so forcefully. I wrongly assumed that it would feel like a rain showerhead. It was nothing like that. The water beat down so hard that it became difficult to breath. (Here is a not so graceful picture-- I zoomed in on my face for your viewing pleasure)

The coolest thing about this was going through the fall. Once I got past the water falling, there was a protected alcove. I was able to climb up on a rock and actually be on the inside of the fall looking out. It was amazing! It is so funny to me how New Zealand has made me this adventurous person. At home I'd probably complain about the water being "icky".