THE METRO CAVE - ADVENTURE CAVING - DISCUSSION DOCUMENT
1.0 PREAMBLE
Presented to the Department of Conservation at the conference by Geoff Schurr to inspire discussion and direction and to provide a basis for an on-site workshop.
Norwest Adventures Ltd, are pleased to be associated with the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association. We are particularly pleased that you have chosen Punakaiki as your venue as we take great pride in the many qualities of the West Coast and in particular the caves and karst of the Charleston, Karamea and Punakaiki regions. We welcome you and the chance to show you some of our activities. We seek your advice and share with you our aspirations.
Directors of Norwest Adventures Ltd have been responsible for locating, exploring, documenting and helping in the formulation of management plans for many of the caves in the region.
We are fiercely proud of the caves in our region and wish to see the following:
A representative range of caves available to all members of the public to see and experience
That there be minimal impact on the caves
That members of the public can share a quality experience with the best guides with minimum exposure to danger
That the caves are managed efficiently and
Through the development and utilisation of selected caves we see the creation of full time employment for West Coast personnel, Norwest Adventures Ltd directors and their families
There are already increasing secondary benefits to our community. Tourism is seen by the Government to be an increasingly important contributor to the West Coast economy following the recent demise of timber, coal mining and much small industry in the region.
The directors share this enthusiasm and pour all their available resources into actively promoting Norwest Adventures Ltd's activities and the region. Often this is done to the company's financial disadvantage in the short term.
We believe the Metro Cave most suitable to be readily developed with a minimum of modification.
We intend this dissertation to accompany our application to upgrade our Metro Caving experience. This will be presented to the Department of Conservation following this conference. We invite your comments.
2.0 OUR COMPANY
Norwest Adventures Ltd was formed in response to the demand for knowledgeable and well qualified guiding in the North West Nelson region by members of the public and educational institutes.
This followed as a direct consequence of the extensive news coverage given to:
Recent cave and karst discoveries
The inception of the most successful and nationally acclaimed Buller High School Outdoor Education Programme based at Charleston
The national debate on the proposed, and now established, Paparoa National Park
Members of our company were under individual and combined pressure to share our experiences with not only our local friends and associates, but also with individuals and groups from outside districts.
In August 1985 we incorporated Norwest Adventures Ltd as a company to combine the skills and expertise of local adventurers and explorers so that we could offer a vast range of quality outdoor pursuits and recreational experiences.
Norwest Adventures Ltd began trading over Christmas 1986 specialising in offering a range of participatory pursuits including:
Scenic Caving
Adventure Caving
Abseiling
Fishing and Hunting
Tramping
Late in 1987 Norwest Adventures Ltd received permission to conduct cave guiding in Metro Cave. This was by way of a three monthly renewable interim permit from the Department of Conservation.
In August 1988 our permit was extended to a twelve monthly renewal period and to include 'underworld rafting'. We launched 'underworld rafting' as a recreational pursuit over Christmas 1988. It has quickly become our number one activity.
Norwest Adventure Ltd offers all of our activities all year round. Since the New Year we have employed one full-time guide. We have six part-time guides of which three are self employed. These three adjust their work according to the demand.
Norwest Adventures Ltd has its registered office at 41 Domett Street, Westport and can be contacted on [0289] 6686 or [0289] 8922.
Along with Underworld Rafting we currently offer:
Scenic Caving in the Metro Cave
Adventure Caving in Te Tahi, Babylon and Waireka Caves
Abseiling on the coastal cliffs at Charleston
A 'Gold Discovery' package in the Charleston goldfields region
Horse trekking at Hector (30 kilometers north of Westport)
The 'Coal Trail'
Fishing and hunting
Tramping
3.0 METRO CAVE - HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The cave was discovered around the turn of the century. However, it appears that no serious attempt was made to explore the cave until the early 1960s when Phil Wood and the Westport Venturers in conjunction with the Nelson Speleological Group and the Canterbury Caving Group made many forays into the cave. The Metro Cave is a floodwater maze system. The upper levels of the cave were formed by Ananui Creek less than 200,000 years ago. As the Nile River constituted the base level to which the cave stream drained the subterranean Ananui Creek was forced constantly to re-adjust its course to the Nile River as the main river incised. There is a complex network of 8 kilometres of passages. The Metro Cave is well decorated with speleothems and has substantial colonies of glowworms in the active stream passages.
The scientific and touristic potential of the Metro Cave was immediately recognised.
Most of the obvious sub-fossil and other fauna remains have been removed from the cave and are now held by:
The Auckland Museum
The Canterbury Museum (although no record of the passeriform material collected by Scarlett 1963 and Wilson is found in the Museum files)
Private collectors?
In 1979 a report was prepared for the Director-General of Forests assessing 'The Potential Impact on the Metro Cave System of Logging in the Catchment of Ananui Creek" (Williams 1979). From this a study was undertaken to establish the significant scientific resources of the site. This included assessment of the tourist potential of the cave and was undertaken in December 1979 by Professor Paul Williams (coordinator and geomorphologist/hydrologist), Peter Crossley (speleologist/surveyor), Philip Millener (palaeontologist) and Christopher Pugsley (ecologist].
In the late sixties some modification of the cave was undertaken by Phil Wood and the Venturers. Walkways were excavated to make access easier. Some damage resulted from this. Many scenic trips were undertaken as more and more of the local population heard of the scenic delights of the Metro Cave System. These trips were often large and unruly and resulted in much damage to speleothems.
A local farmer conducted unofficial guided tours into the cave for some time. Again little attempt was made to protect and monitor the cave and its environment and some of the damage apparent in the cave must be apportioned to this period.
As a consequence of the vandalism and to protect the resource and its catchment (which it was proposed to selectively log) the cave was protected by designating its immediate environs a Scenic Reserve. The Lands and Survey Department installed a locked gate and barrier in the Triclops entrances to prevent access from the Nile River valley. They adopted the New South Wales Cave Management Regime. Access to the general public was severely restricted.
While under their control the Lands and Survey Department took some organised trips through scenic sections of the cave. These were heavily subsidised by the state and the fee charged made no attempt to recover costs.
3.1 CURRENT STATUS
Since the inception of the Department of Conservation, the Ananui catchment has become a detached portion of the Paparoa National Park. The catchment is surrounded by private land and Timberlands (Forestcorp) estate.
Mr John Currie has ownership of the land and part of the road leading to the terrace approximately one kilometre to the east of the main entrance of the cave. Mr Des Hands has a long tenure lease on the Nile River flats leading up to the Metro Caves. A paper road exists across the flats. Timberlands manages the land above this and to the south of the Ananui Catchment.
4.0 NORWEST ADVENTURES LTD - CURRENT METRO EXPERIENCE
Currently Norwest Adventures Ltd offer scenic caving and 'underworld rafting' in the Metro Cave. We offer this all year round on demand.
We extensively advertise these activities on three different levels:
| LOCAL: | Free give away pamphlets |
| Daily in the local newspaper | |
| Photo display albums and boards | |
| NATIONAL: | Mailed invitations to selected personnel and organisations |
| Through computer listing with the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department outlets | |
| Selected brochure outlets | |
| INTERNATIONAL: | Free give away pamphlets |
| Through the NZTP computer listing | |
| Listing in the New Zealand winners booklet |
Our best advertising is by a personal recommendation from those who have participated in our activities.
Northwest Adventures Ltd is based in Westport and operates a well maintained twelve seater courtesy coach to the Nile River flats. Associated clothing and equipment used in conjunction with our' underworld rafting' and scenic caving experiences is as follows:
Full flotation "Farmer Brown" style two piece 5mm wet suits (these are sterilised in an antiseptic savlon solution after each use)
Fibreglass "Quality Craft" climbing helmets complete with lamp brackets and adjustable harness system. Lead Acid Cell "miners" type waist-supported individual batteries (plugged to prevent acid spillage. Note we are in the process of changing these to helmet mounted alkaline rechargeable units)
Gumboots, overalls and some emergency woollen gear including balaclava and gloves
A personal and group first aid kit including spare light sources, thermal blanket and flotation bags. Truck inner tyre tubes
All the gear is maintained and issued by Stuart Berendt to ensure a consistency of standard and a degree of accountability.
4.1 SCENIC CAVING
We operate our Metro trips under an interim concession from the Department of Conservation (twelve monthly renewable). This is a non-exclusive concession. No management plan is in place at the moment.
The lack of a management plan and the lack of security in the concession have to date inhibited any development of the cave or the access to the cave by either Norwest Adventures Ltd, or the Department of Conservation. We are most keen to upgrade the access to the Triclops entrance to make the cave accessible to most locals and our visitors. This will decrease the turn around time and vastly increase the numbers who wish to experience the Metro Cave. As a consequence of this we will be able to lower the unit cost we will have to charge the public. This will again create more demand. We would expect the demand to be such that it would quickly substantiate the placement of a permanent guide at the cave.
Currently we lose many clients when it is explained that:
The trip takes 4-5 hours Westport to Westport. The access road is too rough to take their own vehicles in
The trip includes a 40 minute walk (each way) up to the cave entrance and includes a river crossing
The climb up to the cave is a demanding 30 metres
Is off for today as the river is in flood and we will not risk crossing it
The non-exclusive concession costs us when we have to compete with the heavily subsidised Department of Conservation Summer Holiday Programme cave tours over the peak holiday period. Despite advertising and maintaining a year round service, what should be our flush period is in fact not as visitors abandon the more extravagant but financially pruned Norwest Adventure excursions in favour of the subsidised Department of Conservation caving trips. These are often up to five times cheaper and have been known to run concurrently with our own caving trips.
While the directors of Norwest Adventures Ltd are keen to address these problems they are reluctant to invest their money where there is little security of tenure. The Department of Conservation is still formulating its management plan for the Metro Cave. The management plan is expected to be in place this year (nine years after it was begun). (Editor's note: 2 years since the establishment of DOC)
4.2 UNDERWORLD RAFTING
The lack of access and non-exclusive concession has had little effect on our underworld rafting through the Metro Cave. This is because:
The underworld rafting is appealing to the more active participant.
The visitors are in wet suits to cross the river.
There is no need to return via the steep access from the Triclops entrance.
Underworld rafting is unique in New Zealand to the Metro Cave and Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo.
What effect there has been has been confined to the tourists' limited time to do the activity and the inherent danger through the Nile River being too high to ford and raft.
4.3 THE SCENIC TRIP
Our guests contact us (usually by phone). We take details, names and contact numbers. We give details on the trip then Stuart or I will arrange the guide according to who is on call or available. We try to place our customers in an economical group (minimum of two and a maximum group size of ten).
We will pick up/meet our guests and transport them by courtesy coach to the walking track on the Nile River flat (30 minutes).
We ask our guests to carry the helmets and batteries and tramp along the river flats to the river crossing. The track is across open pasture and through highly modified but quite scenic regeneration (30 minutes). The track is of low impact and is maintained by Norwest Adventures Ltd.
At the river crossing point the guide has made his decision on the capabilities of his/her party and will decide as to whether the group can cross individually or mutually supported (the guide may have already abandoned the trip if he/she is slightly unsure as to the river condition, the party and/or the weather forecast)
The climb up to the Triclops entrance is only 30 metres but it is a demanding one over poorly structured, badly eroding soil on karst. It can be a difficult slippery ascent for those who are not too fit. The guide will assist where possible and point out the easy way!
At the entrance our guests will be briefed on their gear and our expectations of them as regards their safety and the conservation of the cave and its environment. On entering the cave the guide will immediately put the client at ease and during the tour of the cave the clients will be given facts on the formation and features of the cave along with some interesting anecdotes and our scenic route is defined.
There are no major obstacles encountered along the route undertaken apart from the occasional need to duck your head and take care with your footing. The route is dry and generally spacious in nature.
Photos may be taken as the opportunity avails itself. Our return trip from the cave is via the same route described. On return visitors are asked if they would sign our visitors book and promotional material is given out.
It is important to note that the financial aspect of a successful trip is secondary to the risk management and safety of the party.
4.4 THE UNDERWORLD RAFTING EXPERIENCE
The preliminaries up to the river crossing are the same with the guides carrying the wet suits in a pack. At the river crossing our guests change into wet suits and remount their battery and helmet. Their tramping clothing is stashed.
With wetsuits the river crossing is nowhere near as difficult as you can cross in much deeper slower moving water.
At the base of the climb to the Triclops entrance each party member secures their own truck tube. The climb up the face is quite difficult with a tube suspended over an arm. Help is often needed.
Our route through the cave and the format is similar to the scenic tour up until Pigalle where a bypass is taken to the active river passage. Here glowworms are observed close up. At the lake basic instruction on safety and piloting your tube is carried out.
We have a total blackout float throughout the mid section of the lake to observe the glowworms (at present the glowworms emit enough light to be able to see the shadows of the visitors on the lake). While there is a slight current (4 knots) we usually speed up our exit by paddling.
At the river instruction is given on how to safely negotiate the three minor rapids in the Nile River. If anyone is not confident they are encouraged to walk the rapid. The guide always goes first and waits at the bottom for the safe travel of the party. At the bottom of the third rapid the loop is completed and a short 50 metre walk returns the tubes to be stored next to the track.
After changing, our guests are accompanied down the track back to the courtesy coach where the formalities remain the same as in the scenic caving option.
At present we do not encourage participants to take their cameras through the cave because of the chance of a knock while going down the rapids.
We acknowledge that the long term success of the company requires the highest standard of equipment and guiding. We take great pains to supply both so that all customers go away in the knowledge that they have completed a truly unique fun experience.
5.0 THE FUTURE
Norwest Adventures Ltd see the Metro Cave as the best cave in the region for development for scenic caving and, possibly when the demand arises, tourist caving. The scientific and scenic resources report edited by Dr Paul Williams sees the cave as having significant tourist potential.
Little internal cave modification would be required to fulfil this ideal - only constant monitoring, preferably by photometric analysis.
There is a real need to improve the access to the cave:
This is imperative to improve safety in the event of an accident or medical emergency.
Weather limits the access to the cave and a change in weather can make an uncomfortable return trip.
The walk is limiting our clientele to those who are young and fit.
Visitors want to go scenic caving or 'underworld rafting', not tramp. The tramp promotes negative responses.
Many tourists have limited time and the 4 hour 30 minute round trip is a barrier.
Improved access would increase our client base and lower our unit cost. This would in turn satisfy an increasing demand from the family group and increase the number of trips we are able to offer.
5.1 TYPE OF ACCESS
Access via Madman's Road to the terrace above Ananui creek and the Main Entrance to the cave has been discounted as the road is 11 kilometres long and very expensive to maintain. The road would still leave the visitor 30 plus metres above the cave entrance and a one kilometre walk through very steep and damp forest to get to the main entrance.
We have considered road and tram access as two methods of improving the access up the Nile River Valley.
5.2 ROAD ACCESS
A 1.5 kilometre extension to and upgrading of the existing road would take tourists to the existing river crossing where a car parking area could be provided. The proposed route would be along the paper road leaving, where possible, the existing track as it has intrinsic value in its own right despite travelling through regenerated bush and grazed pastures. The road would make the Nile River valley far more accessible. The valley has scenic and recreational qualities of its own. This would be the easiest and most practical solution to solve the problems as outlined in 5.0.
5.3 TRAMWAY
A novel method of transport which suits the environment is the construction of a bush tramway from the existing road to the top flat where it is necessary to cross the river. This would add value in its own right and could become a tourist attraction on its own in one or our region's most picturesque gorges, The tram would follow the proposed paper road and it would not be that difficult to construct, but would be more expensive than a road. A tramway would be more environmentally sensitive and would prevent the easy access to the cave site by casual travellers.
5.4 RIVER CROSSING
It is feasible to erect a swingbridge at the river crossing between the banks of the Nile. There is no problem with this apart from the environmental impact of the bridge itself.
The bridge would improve access to the Nile River gorge and improve the safety margin for trampers, hunters and fishermen in the region.
The swingbridge would be of the type commonly used by the Department of Conservation on New Zealand tracks.
5.5 STAIRWAY
The only economically feasible way to improve the access to the Triclops entrance is to construct wooden flights of stairs and secure them to the solid limestone face with rockbolts. The stairway should have a handrail and its steps covered with an abrasive material to prevent slipping. This is again not technically demanding, but necessary to prevent the severe erosion and to improve the quality of the experience.
5.6 METRO CAVE
It is not envisaged that the itinerary or format of the tour change in the immediate future.
It is important that the speleothems in the Hall of Refugees are cleaned properly to improve the scenic qualities of the tour. Strategically placed natural stepping stones should be positioned in the Hall of Refugees where there are currently splash puddles which visitors are walking through.
A monitoring system using photos should be set up to periodically assess the effect on the cave environment.
6.0 SUMMARY
Norwest Adventures Ltd has spent much time energy and money in:
Creating the demand base for Adventure Caving
Advertising the attributes of the North West Nelson region
Purchasing capital equipment
Improving access
Maintaining the integrity of the caves it uses
We see improved access to the Metro Cave as the paramount objective to:
Increase the number of visitors able to experience quality caving excursions
Enhance the caving experience
Improve profitability
Create employment
Improve the safety margins
We see that a good working relationship with the local officers of the Department of Conservation is imperative. Not only the management, but also attitude could make or break the Company.
Forward planning is nigh on impossible while operating under an interim management plan.
We would be very disappointed to see that the non-exclusiveness of our concession is used by the Department of Conservation staff or other pseudo groups to allow subsidised trips.
We are very proud of the cave and its environment. Most of our Directors have long associations with the Coast and have chosen to live here and develop tourism for the mutual benefit of the community and themselves. We have created a workable entity and we now wish to grow with the demand we have created.
GENERAL REFERENCES
Williams, P. (1979) Metro Cave A Survey Of Scientific & Scenic Resources
Australasian Cave Management Association Newsletter and Conference Papers
New Zealand Speleological Bulletins
The Great West Coast Drive, West Coast Tourism Council
The Westport News, Westport News Ltd
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Kevan Wilde
Phil Wood
Owen Dennis
For their help in preparing this article.
EXTRACT FROM VISITORS BOOK
| DATE . NAME | ADDRESS | COMMENTS |
| 27.03.89 M.Salter | Carters Beach,Westport | Excellent |
| 7.03.89 Reimer Viudermann | Schleswig-Holstein, Germany | Very beautiful |
| 27.03.89 Carrier Klein | Virginia,U.S.A. | Most beautiful awe-inspiring things I've ever done. Good on ya! Excellent! |
| 01.04.89 Susanne Impey | Grande Prairie,AB Can. | Brilliant |
| 01.04.89 Theresa Mackin | Portland,Oregan,USA | Terrible - April Fools! It's a must Brilliant! |
| 01.04.89 Brigitte Langeugges | Zurich Switzerland | S'hat Schpass-guiacgi |
| 01.04.89 Adrian Mineh | Salisbury,England | Heaps of fun |
| 01.04.89 Katie Huggins | Surrey, England | Absolutely the best day!(but wear your socks) |
| 01.04.89 June Vign | Vancouver Canada | Brilliant! Great caves!! |
| 02.04.89 R.& C. Bravenboer | Wadestown, Wellington | Massive |
| 02.04.89 Bruce Menzies | Gisborne | Well worth it |
| 02.04.89 John Grergeson | Cambridge, U.K. | Fantastic! |
| 04.04.89 Danny Player | Melbourne, Australia | Good value |
| 04.04.89 Marc Deshajes | Pasadena, MD USA | An all around great time! |
| 04.04.89 Judith Yates | Marlborough St, Tokoroa | Would do it again. Relaxing. Cave was relaxing. |
| 04.04.89 Jakob Basting | Viboig, Danmark | Great ... |
| 04.04.89 Gabrella Brown | Sweden | Vtmarkt |
| 04.04.89 Stig S Vwriksen | Fyn,Denmark | Great |
| 04.04.89 Vicki Neil | Bordes, Scotland | Great |