Browne Falls

Browne Falls is a high waterfall that drops into Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, New Zealand. It is frequently cited among the country’s tallest waterfalls and is located at the head of the fiord.

The falls form a long, near-vertical ribbon dropping from the surrounding high country into sea level at the fjord head; views are typically from the water with full height visible only from a distance. Boat cruises and kayak trips on Doubtful Sound provide the usual vantage points for photographs and close views.

The falls are a natural feature formed by runoff from the surrounding mountains and have been recorded on charts and in visitor accounts since the area was explored in the 19th and 20th centuries. Their remote fjord setting has limited development and left them largely in a natural state.

Positioned at the northern end of Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, the falls lie within rugged, mostly roadless country and are reached by boat from Deep Cove or from multi-day wilderness routes.

• Access: Accessible only by water from Doubtful Sound or by multi-day hiking routes in Fiordland; most visitors see it on boat cruises that call at the fjord's head.
• Height note: Often cited as one of New Zealand's highest waterfalls, with a commonly quoted vertical drop of several hundred metres (sources frequently list around 800 metres).