TOURIST CAVES OF NEW ZEALAND
(This paper was originally presented to the Sixth International Congress of Speleology, Olomouc, 1973. It is included here to make it more readily available to those specifically interested in cave management)
INTRODUCTION
New Zealand has many hundreds of interesting and beautiful limestone caves that are easily negotiated, but because of their remoteness and the lack of tourist demand, only eight are commercial show caves (Figure 1).
Waiomio Cave, Northland is 4km south of Kawakawa, and only 900m from Highway 1. The cave penetrates a craggy ridge of limestone.
From the car park, a short track (200m) across pasture leads to the base of a low, bushy cliff where a small stream resurges. Inside the cave the pathway passes dark flowstone and brown stalactites. A small side alcove has some cream and white calcite. Glowworms live on the high ceiling of the main chamber. A wooden ladder leads up to a false floor of calcite. The cave is 130m long and almost straight. The return path over the hill passes karst outcrops.
The cave is mentioned in Maori tribal traditions, but no date of opening to the public is known. The Maori owner has constructed paths during the past 20 years. Electric lighting was installed, but the owner prefers to use a petrol pressure lamp while narrating the story of his ancestors and their cave (published in a booklet). The tour lasts half an hour. The ticket office and souvenir stall are 200m from the cave, and the toilets are near the entrance. All other tourist facilities are 4km away. The number of visitors per year is probably less than 2000, and it is unlikely to increase rapidly.
Glowworm Cave is the best known of a group of three tourist caves at Waitomo Caves in King Country. From Te Kuiti it is 11km north along Highway 3 and then 8km west to the village. The cave stream flows through a barrier of flaggy limestone which encloses the upper valley of farmland and forest.
A shaded doorway 13m above the bush-clad stream entrance leads into some upper-level solution tubes and recesses, and past a vertical blind shaft that connects with the stream. A small maze overlooks the central intermediate level from which the paths radiate. Narrow stairs lead down and up again to the right into a dry stream meander, and a wide chamber flanked by interconnecting solution recesses. Here is a dry rimstone dam, and a large column of glistening calcite that is partly stained by the touch of visitors. Visitors return to the hub and turn right again down to the largest hall (40 x 11m). It is well decorated with white, cream and brown stalactites and reaches up to connect with the upper level (14m). At the far end there is a low ceiling over a backwater of the steam where glowworms are inspected at close quarters. The climax of the tour is down again from the hub to a dimly lit jetty from where a punt glides around a corner into the dark grotto lit only by tens of thousands of glowworms. The grotto (30 x 10m and 5m high) is sheltered from the outside by some large stalactites which reach into the water. The tour underground traverses 530m of the 600m that are explored.
Glowworm Cave was known in Maori tradition as Waitomo and gave the name to the district. It was first explored in 1887 and opened to the public two years later. In 1907 the cave was purchased by the government and a guesthouse was built nearby. The cave is operated by the government hotel corporation. Many improvements to paths, stairs and lights have been made since the first opening. Paths are of stone chips, concrete, or wooden slats. There are more than 200 stairs to be climbed. Each guide conducts a maximum of 50 visitors on the 1 hour tour. The powerful electric lights (110V) are well concealed and light the cave effectively. Ferns and mosses grow near some of the brighter lights. The car park, souvenir stall, and toilets are 80m from the cave. The ticket office and all other tourist facilities (except an automobile workshop) are about 450m away. Some guides speak Maori as well as English.
The cave is open every day, except during occasional floods. It is world famous and attracts about 150,000 visitors annually. Further improvements are proposed. Visitors on busy holidays (2000 per day) can only spend two minutes in the boat in Glowworm Grotto. Waitomo is 210km from Auckland and single day bus tours from cruise ships and airline stopovers are very popular.
Aranui Cave is 3km west of Waitomo caves village in King Country. A dense indigenous forest grows on the karst mantle of volcanic ash that covers the rugged limestone hill slope above the cave.
Figure 1: New Zealand Tourist Caves
A short forest track (500m) leads down, across a valley and up to the small entrance. Large stalactites enclose a well decorated hall in which cave crickets shelter. The trail rises and falls over thick dry cave fill, but the interest is in the ceiling decorated with cream, brown, grey and white stalactites and drapes. Almost all of this 270m long cave is inspected by the visitor. The climax is in the straight, narrow, and lofty approach to a profusely decorated chamber. Another short passage is low (1.2m) and narrow, but well lit and paved. Guard nets are necessary to prevent vandalism of the glistening, white calcite decorations.
The cave was discovered in 1911 and soon afterwards opened to the public. It is operated by the government hotel corporation. The paths are of wooden slats or concrete. The powerful electric lighting (110V) is well conceived and carefully concealed. Each guide takes a maximum of 50 persons on the 40 minute tour. A refreshment stall, and toilets are 180m from the cave. A proposed new car park will be 200m from the cave. The ticket office and other tourist facilities are 3km away. The cave is open throughout the year, and there are about 10,000 visitors annually. The cave is not as well publicised as the nearby Glowworm Cave, but improvements to the access road and carpark should increase the patronage.
Ruakuri Cave at Waitomo Caves in King Country is less than 300m from Aranui Cave. The tourist entrance is at stream level in a 60m deep, limestone gorge in a densely forested scenic reserve.
A forest path (580m) leads down into the valley and up many steps to the foot of a high, dry, overhanging cliff. A stairway continues down to the cave door. The first hall is spacious (120 x 8m and 10m high) and well decorated with fresh, clean stalactites and flowstone of white, cream, and brown. A stairway connects with a straight, narrow solution tube lit by low-level, dim lights. The rumble of a distant waterfall can be heard. A high, broad passage is entered, but the stairs turn back under themselves to the present steam course where there are glowworm displays if the lights are subdued. A small bridge takes the trail into a network of large solution passages and through to two large piles of rock fallen from the ceiling high above. Between the fallen blocks there are profuse deposits of delicate, white stalactites and flowstone. This point is about 375m from the entrance, just 10 per cent of the total cave that has been explored and surveyed by speleologists. The cave has nine entrances and in plan is an elongated network influenced by faults and joints.
Ruakuri Cave was known to local residents late last century, but it was not opened to tourists until 1904. It is operated by the government hotel corporation. Many improvements to paths, stairs and lights have been made. Paths are of wooden slats or stone chips. There are more than 200 stairs to be climbed during the visit. Each guide conducts a maximum of 50 visitors on the 1 hour tour. The powerful electric lights (110V) are well concealed and illuminate the cave very effectively. A refreshment stall and toilets are 250m from the cave, and shared with visitors to Aranui Cave. There are about 10,000 visitors annually. Ruakuri Cave, like Aranui Cave, is not as well publicised as the nearby Glowworm Cave.
Te Anaroa Cave, Rockville, is 10km up Aorere valley from Collingwood on Highway 60 in north-west Nelson district. Limestone outcrops flank the valley, and eroded tors are part of the local karst scenery. A shallow swamp on top of gravel overlies the cave.
From the bush clad entrance, in which glowworms can be seen at night, a high, narrow and straight passage leads into a dry grid pattern of undecorated tunnels. A fallen roof slab has exposed the fossil bones of a penguin. The trail reaches a well decorated chamber 350m in. The decorations are of white or cream calcite. A major rockfall has dislocated several of the passages, but speleologists have explored to another entrance where a large boulder strewn stream enters.
The cave was discovered in 1903 and opened to tourists the following year. It is operated by the farmer owner. The paths are the natural cave floor, and lighting is by petrol pressure lamps carried by visitors for the 1½ hour tour. Each guide takes up to 35 visitors. The ticket office, car park and toilets are 80m from the cave. Other tourist facilities are 10km away. A season of six weeks during summer, and Saturdays for the remainder of the year, caters for about 2000 visitors annually. Patronage is not likely to increase rapidly because the location is well away from the bulk of the New Zealand tourist traffic.
Ngarua Marble Cave is close to Highway 60 on the winding Takaka Hill road 20km west from Motueka in Nelson district. The extensive exposed karst field, well known for its karren, forms a mountain range up to 1900m a.s.l. which includes six explored shafts between 250 and 370m deep. This cave within the marble is unusual for this district because it is shallow and mainly horizontal. The altitude is 650m a. s.l
The trail leads down into a high passage profusely decorated with large stalactites and stalagmites, and encrusted with cave coral. Electric lighting enables visitors to inspect half of the 450m long cave. Other entrance shafts are known.
The cave was discovered early this century and visited by many as a wild cave. Development began in 1969 and public tours the following year. The paths and stairs are solid. The car park, ticket office, souvenir staff and toilets are at the cave entrance. All other tourist facilities are 20km away. Each guide conducts about 25 visitors on the half hour tour. The season is daily from Christmas to early February, and then three days per week until the end of March, Sundays till the end of July, and one holiday weekend in October.
About 2000 persons visit the cave annually. The cave is operated by a bus company, and is close to a popular local holiday district, so patronage should increase.
Maori Leap Cave is right beside Highway l, 2km west of Kaikoura, Marlborough. The fine-grained limestone seacliffs behind an ancient raised beach are not susceptible to ordinary solutional cave development, but a sea cave has formed because the limestone is very jointed and flaky.
The excavated entrance leads through a short, dry passage 75m to a chamber, well decorated with white and golden stalactites and flowstone.
The cave was discovered in 1959 during quarrying and opened two years later. It is operated in conjunction with the cafeteria. The floor is of limestone fragments and calcite-cemented beach gravel. Electric spotlights illuminate the cave. Each guide leads 20 persons for the 40 minute tour. The car park, cafeteria, souvenir shop, and toilets are 230m from the cave, and accommodation 2km away. The cave is open throughout the year and has about 4000 visitors annually. Although this is only a tiny cave, patronage could increase because the location is half-way on the 240km journey between Christchurch and the Picton car ferry to North Island.
Te Ana-au Cave is on the western shore of Lake Te Anau, Fiordland 15km across from Te Anau village on Highway 94 to Milford Sound. Limestone dips moderately towards the lake and higher up in the Murchison Mountains a barrier across a valley that is the habitat of the Notornis - a bird once thought to be extinct.
From the forested lakeshore a path leads to some large limestone blocks at the resurgence of a stream. A low, excavated entrance opens into the cave. Above a small dam inside the cave a punt moves through the narrow, lofty passage to a noisy waterfall that has exposed the texture of the clean limestone and granite boulders. A short walkway leads up to another darn with a pool close to the rough, clean ceiling on which there is a display of glowworms, at its best in summer. The steam enters this pool through a siphon 180m from the tourist entrance. Divers have connected this large, 20m long submerged tunnel with Aurora Cave which contains 2000m of passage and a huge entrance in the forest 200m above lake level. Calcite deposits are rare in the tourist cave.
The cave was known in Maori traditions and gave its name to the lake. In 1948 rediscovery and exploration led to immediate development and opening to the public by a concessionary travel company within the National Park. The paths are gentle ramps of concrete, and lighting is electric (24V). Each guide takes 12 visitors on the 40 minute tour. A pleasant and attractive lunch room (with toilets) is situated 25m from the cave. There is no road access to the cave. All other facilities are in Te Anau village from which the complete launch and cave trip take 2.5 hours. The cave is open through the year and there are more than 30,000 visitors annually. Patronage by package deal bus tours is good because the village, with little other interest or entertainment, is a common overnight stop.
CONCLUSION
Many other caves have been considered as potential show caves. A few have been improved for tourists, but with so many wild caves accessible to the interested visitor, prospective cave operators have had little assurance of a steady income from regular patronage that would recoup the capital investment necessary to make a cave interesting and attractive to the traveller.