The Purakaunui Falls have returned to their former glory after a drought reduced the Catlins attraction to a trickle.
A photo taken at the start of the month (right) showed the lacklustre appearance of the falls.
A photo taken on Thursday showed the falls with a more impressive display of water than was seen on New Year’s Day.
Catlins Promotions immediate past president Finlay Abernethy, who keeps a sharp eye on rainfall in the Catlins area, said rain had increased in the past month.
He has recorded about 90mm so far this month so far and about a third of that was overnight on Wednesday and Thursday. The January average is 70-80mm. He expects
rivers and streams will rise, increasing the amount of water flowing over the Purakaunui Falls.
However, he said whether there was a ‘‘trickle’’ or a lot of water, the falls always had a certain beauty about them.
