Wildwire Wanaka in the media
Since Lord of the Rungs opened in 2017, Wildwire Wanaka has been written about by Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Traveller, Forbes, the New Zealand Herald and the Otago Daily Times.
This page collects that coverage in one place, with a link to every article. If you are trying to work out whether you can actually do this, it helps to hear it from someone who is not us.
Some of the writers below climbed the whole route. Others came to find out how a via ferrata gets built into a waterfall in the first place. We have kept their words as they published them, and linked to every piece so you can read the lot.
We add to this page as new coverage comes in.
The international press
Smithsonian Magazine · October 2017
The American magazine sent a writer to Twin Falls the month after Lord of the Rungs opened, and got the story of how the route was built out of Mark.
“Last month, Wildwire Wanaka unveiled Lord of the Rungs, the world’s highest via ferrata waterfall climb.” — Smithsonian Magazine
Read the article →https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/climb-worlds-highest-waterfall-ferrata-180964956/
National Geographic Traveller (UK) · January 2022
Named one of six best adventures in New Zealand, in among the country’s better-known names in bungy and bouldering.
“Wildwire’s Lord of the Rungs experience bills itself as one of the world’s highest waterfall climbs, with a via ferrata trail that traverses a series of escalating iron rungs and cable bridges.” — National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Read the article →https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/new-zealand-best-adventures-bouldering-bungy-jumps
Forbes · September 2020
Forbes put the climb on its Wānaka bucket list.
“reserve a trip with WildWire Wanaka for the highest cable-waterfall climb on the planet” — Forbes
Read the article →https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherineparkermagyar/2020/09/14/the-bucket-list-guide-to-wanaka-new-zealand/
Traveller (Australia) · July 2017
An Australian writer climbed the route and asked Laurel who else does.
“We’ve had children as young as five up here. Even though you can do this as a beginner, there are some really exciting bits.” — Laurel Morrison, in Traveller
Read the article →https://www.traveller.com.au/wired-for-heights-wildwire-wanaka-gx98el
Robb Report Australia & New Zealand
The luxury title on how a mountain guide came to build a via ferrata so that people with no climbing experience could get up it.
“world-class mountain guide Mark Morrison had the idea to construct a via ferrata, a wire cable and steel
rungs embedded in the sheer rock face, to enable amateurs to safely experience the thrill of a challenging climb.” — Robb Report Australia & New Zealand
Read the article → https://robbreport.com.au/travel/The-wonders-of-New-Zealands-Wanaka-await/
Marie Claire Australia · August 2026
Marie Claire’s guide to an active New Zealand holiday runs from Rotorua to Waitomo to Franz Josef, and climbing a waterfall in Wānaka makes the list.
Read the article →https://www.marieclaire.com.au/life/active-new-zealand-holiday/
What the New Zealand press has said
New Zealand Herald · April 2026
Listed among New Zealand’s best late summer adventures, with all three climb levels set out for people who have never done anything like it.
“Wildwire Wanaka is the world’s highest waterfall via ferrata. Choose from three climbing levels, from a 150m beginner route to the full 450m ascent to the top of Twin Falls.” — New Zealand Herald
Read the article →https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/best-late-summer-adventures-in-new-zealand-from-bay-of-islands-to-queenstown/A5WPF5O5ZNFFXNFYPAEI2R3UKI/
New Zealand Herald
Steve Dickinson came out as a first-timer and wrote up the whole thing, rung by rung.
“WildWire is now absolutely at the top of my list. I love it, for so many reasons, from location and challenge, to being Kiwi-owned and operated.” — Steve Dickinson, New Zealand Herald
Read the article → https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/challenge-accepted-wanaka-rock-climbing-that-anyone-cando/N42MN6OYNLXQDDQIRZDNJZHHUA/
Otago Daily Times · July 2021
Wildwire takes out the Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award.
“Wildwire Wanaka won the Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award at a ceremony at the Christchurch Art Centre.” — Otago Daily Times
Read the article → https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka/award-just-beginning-owner-says
Crux · February 2022
How a small Wānaka adventure business got through Covid by letting people pay what they could.
“But when you have people come out, you realise you have a great product, and we live in a great town.” — Mark Morrison, in Crux
Read the article → https://crux.org.nz/crux-news/keeping-afloat-surviving-sometimes-thriving-amid-covid-chaos
New Zealand Herald
The Climb for Koha story, on opening the climb to New Zealanders for whatever they could pay.
“We didn’t make money out of this, but we were able to employ lots of guides and spread some of the love through the community.” — Mark Morrison, New Zealand Herald
Read the article →https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/climb-for-koha-wanaka-wildwire-tells-kiwis-pay-what-theywant/ATURFEVI7LSRVQJUGWZI633PMY/
Stuff Travel · August 2022
Stuff’s Wānaka guide, on the bit people worry about most.
“Wildwire Wanaka runs the world’s highest waterfall cable climb, and best of all, you don’t need any climbing experience.” — Stuff Travel
Read the article → https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/travel/wanaka-go-to-guide/
Travel and tourism
Tourism New Zealand · October 2025
The climb sits in Tourism New Zealand’s top ten things to do in Wānaka.
“Climb the world’s highest waterfall cable climb (via ferrata) with WildWire Wanaka.” — newzealand.com
Read the article →https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/top-experiences-in-wanaka/
AA New Zealand
Listed by the AA as a New Zealand must-do.
“Traverse a network of rungs, plank bridges and foot pegs as you climb the rocky gully; cross in front of the tumbling water.” — AA New Zealand
Read the article →https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/must-dos/complete-the-worlds-highest-waterfall-climb-via-ferrata-in-wanaka/
Love Wānaka · November 2025
Laurel on why we started Wildwire, and on the trapping, water monitoring and native replanting that comes with looking after Twin Falls.
“We started Wildwire because we have such a passion for nature and the outdoors, and we wanted to share that with others.” — Laurel Morrison, in Love Wānaka
Read the article → https://lovewanaka.co.nz/wanaka-stories/wildwire-wanaka-climbing-for-connection-with-nature/
The business story
NZBusiness Magazine · August 2017
The story of what it actually took to build a via ferrata into a waterfall, including the parts that nearly did
not happen.
“The process was very hard and a few times we nearly gave up, but perseverance was the key.” — Mark Morrison, in NZBusiness
Read the article →https://nzbusiness.co.nz/business/walking-iron-road
Australasian Leisure Management · November 2017
Trade coverage of the launch.
“Adventure tourism operator Wildwire Wanaka has launched the world’s highest waterfall climb at Wanaka’s Twin Falls.” — Australasian Leisure Management
Read the article →https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/wildwire-wanaka-launches-worlds-highest-waterfall-climb/
Australasian Leisure Management · December 2020
Mark on why the pay what you can climb was never about the money.
“We totally acknowledge that adventure tourism activities are bucket list and not always affordable. We
make no money out of this program, it’s not about that.” — Mark Morrison, in Australasian Leisure Management
Read the article →https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/wildwire-wanaka-offers-pay-what-you-can-offer-for-new-zealand-families/
Awards and ratings
Qualmark Gold. Winner of the Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award in 2021. TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice, and rated the number one outdoor activity in Wānaka from more than 1,400 reviews.
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Independent publications including Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Traveller, Forbes and the New Zealand Herald have all written about the climb, and it holds Qualmark Gold and a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award. Most people who come to us have never climbed before.
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No. A via ferrata is a fixed route of steel cables, rungs and bridges, and you are clipped to the safety cable from the first rung to the last. As Stuff put it, you don’t need any climbing experience. Your guide handles the technical side.
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Lord of the Rungs is a via ferrata the climbs alongside 450 metres vertical beside Twin Falls, near Wānaka. It has been described as the world’s highest waterfall cable climb by Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and Forbes, among others.
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Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Traveller (UK), Forbes, Robb Report, Marie Claire, Traveller, the New Zealand Herald, the Otago Daily Times, Stuff, Crux, NZBusiness and Australasian Leisure Management, along with Tourism New Zealand and the AA. Every article is linked on this page.
