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Sutherland Falls

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Sutherland Falls is a very famous waterfall. It sits on the South Island of New Zealand. You can find it near Milford Sound. The falls are located 13.5 nautical miles southwest of Chao Pass. This place is part of the Fiordland National Park. It is a very special site in the land.

The water starts at a place called Lake Quill. It does not fall in one single drop. Instead, it falls in three parts called cascades. The upper cascade is 229 meters tall. The middle cascade is 248 meters tall. The lower cascade is 103 meters tall. Together, they make a total height of 580 meters.

People learned about these falls a long time ago. A Scottish settler named Donald Sutherland saw them in 1880. He was the first European to know they existed. He thought the falls were even taller than they are. He believed they were the highest in the whole world. Later surveys showed his claim was too big.

There are many interesting facts about this place. The falls are the tallest in all of New Zealand. The water falls over a horizontal distance of 480 meters. This creates a mean grade of about 56 degrees. Lake Quill was named for an explorer in 1890. He was the first European to climb the cliff to find it.

You can visit the base of the falls today. It is a 90-minute return walk from the Quintin Public Shelter. This shelter is found on the Milford Track. You might even recognize the falls from a movie. They appear in the background of an eagle scene in The Hobbit. It is a beautiful place to see.

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