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Story: Nelson places

Maruia Falls

Maruia Falls

The Murchison earthquake of 1929 created the Maruia Falls by triggering a landslide which diverted the course of the Maruia River westwards, forcing it to cut a new channel over an old river bank. The river eroded gravels below the bank, forming the Maruia Falls. Immediately after the earthquake, the falls were only about a metre high, but after a year, the drop was 5 metres. In the early 2000s it was 10 metres, as shown here.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Nelson places – Upper Buller River valley, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/29087/maruia-falls (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 31 August 2010, updated 22 April 2015.

Comments

Rachel
23 November 2014
relly love Maruia waterfall. been there severel times
joy potter
10 November 2013
Growing up, our family lived daily with the horror stories that our dad Ralph Westbrook would repeat to us remembering the day he witnessed his dearest twin brother Leo, killed, in the Murchison earthquake. A shock he never fully recovered from, till the day he passed away. My dad moved back to Murchison, as he would later tell us, to be close to dear Leo. My dad died aged 75 years. Our Mother, Muriel Westbrook, nee Biggs, was also effected by the earthquake, living at the time in Tapawhera KAHATU. She told stories of the ground moving and the strange noises. She spoke of the fear she felt, as a little girl, thinking the world was ending. My Mother died aged 93 years, her life moved on from that terrible experience, but she would often recount that earthquake day that changed a beautiful part of a country forever! Thank you for this opportunity to share a small part of my parents stories. Joy Potter (nee Westbrook)