The Huka Falls are New Zealand’s most popular natural attraction. As the Waikato River leaves Lake Taupō, it narrows from 100 metres wide into a channel only 15 metres across. This forces the water through the gorge at high speed, which forms the rapids leading to the falls themselves. More than 200,000 litres of water crash through the canyon every second, enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every 11 seconds. You can explore the falls on foot, by mountain bike or even using New Zealand’s most exciting mode of transport – the jet boat. This half-hour thrill ride races through the gorge at more than 80 km per hour, delivering you to the base of the falls to be covered in spray.