Nov07 Karamea caves

Awoke to overcast skies but no rain. Drove to get tickets to the cave tour, met the actual guide in the building. Drove to the dirt road that led to the caves, met the same group of motorcyclists we’d been crossing paths with for a few days. Diverse group, a Harley, a big KTM supermoto, an R1, a MV Augusta sport bike, and an older Ducati full fairing painted the trademark green red and white of the flag. An Aprilia 1000 and a new Buell 1125r. I was a bit envious, but that went away as the rains began.

The long dirt road was almost wide enough for two cars to pass. The sign said not recommended for campervans, but oh well.

Following the guide, we finally pulled into the parking area. Multiple signs warned we were about to enter a protected, dangerous area etc, etc.

As we walked, our guide chatted, explaining the geology, the geography, the plant life, the animal population. Very knowledgeable and informative. The brook we followed was stained brilliant orange from the leaf litter tannins…



The valley sits low, protected from the cruel winds, and receives huge amounts of rainfall. The moss and greenery was amazing…

Got to the cave mouth, a dark slash in the lush greenery.

The cave system is huge, we only dipped our toe in during our visit, probably saw less than 5% of the navigable area. Massive. 300 entrances. Donning our helmets and turning on our “torches”, we descended.

Stalactites hung everywhere, oddly twisted from years of shifting air flows as the water continued to erode the limestone and change the cave’s structure. Chris said a general rule for stalactite growth was 1 inch equaled roughly 500 years.

One of the more scientific interests in this cave system is that it’s been collecting animal remains for thousands of years. Several moa ( extinct huge flightless bird ) skeletons remain here, as well as more ancient and current species. A smaller one…

Sort of a “time capsule” of history. The biggest moa was about six feet high at the shoulder and 550 lbs. Also found was the extinct Haast Eagle, with a three meter (9ft!) wingspan and massive talons it could easily fly off with sheep and children, and crush a man’s skull with a strike. Maori legend has several accounts of a “demon” from the skies killing people.

Still finding bones in here, Chris said there’s a room not depicted on the map for security reasons, where the floor has been eroded by a newer stream, you walk in this trough, both sides being five feet deep with bones-thousands of years of near fossils. Wow.

Some get washed in, some die near the entrances, some fall in. This particular room, for example is known as the “deer drop” room, for the unfortunate deer that got stuck in the hole above, died, rotted, and then the bones gradually fell to the cavern floor. Not a good day for the deer.

This stalagmite is growing upward, the calcium stained with the same tannins coloring the river above. Brilliant color in the cool darkness. Broken pieces nearby show rings of “growth” much like trees, where the tannin has been staining irregularly over the years.



Able to get up close to a glow worm, a good look at the tubular sliminess and the sticky threads of silk it spins to trap the insects attracted by it’s glowing green spot. Apparently uses very similar venom, silk, and glue as spiders.

Exited the cave from another area, walked back to the cars, where Chris had coffee, tea, and treats. We chatted for a while, got recommendations on nearby caves and attractions. A great experience.

We took Chris’ advice and explored two other caves alone. One is scientifically important for “crazy paving”, a crinkled and cracked floor thought to heve been created when the cave dried very slowly over a very long time, …

(reminds me of the crazing effect in the lake beds when the desert dries them out, so they’re probably right)
And a known haven for huge cave spiders. Impressive things, they’ve specialized so much their venom now only works on the cave crickets. Here’s some of their egg sacs…

And one of them with a cricket piece in it’s jaws…

Also found a little demon girl..

The entrance to the Box Cavern cave we explored next (I like this shot)…

Left the caves. We had driving to do, the day was getting late. A pretty panoramic..

Back over steep ridges, returning the 100km of backtracking we needed to do to continue. Again, 30-50km/hr with tires scuffing. Fun stuff. Got back on the main highway heading toward Nelson. Following a river valley, the road twisted and turned among small peaks. Rounding a bend, another one way section…

And a nice panorama spot as the river swept around…

Rain and sun breaks continued, Denise suggested we stretch our legs at the longest suspension footbridge in New Zealand…

Continuing on we finally reached Nelson, our destination for the night. Nice. Nearly on the beach. We’ve started utilizing campsites that advertise internet, hoping to be able to get online and post our explorations. Not working out so well, though, still hit or miss. Got a site, then left to get some dinner.

Got a Mac’s beer sampler with food to share . Good stuff. Oddly, the waitress came and took our plates away before Denise was finished or had time to swallow and say, “HEY!”. Weird.

Walked to he beach, watched a beautiful sunset…

Back to the campsite, found out that the campsite is on an airport approach path. Didn’t mention that little fact in the brochure. Another issue… No Internet! It was there one minute, gone the next. Not happy.

I cruised the campsite, opening the laptop as I searched for a connection. Boom!

What was t… Boom!

Fireworks. Many places. Small fireworks, set off in the fast approaching darkness. Met an Australian girl at the BBQ who explained it was Guy Fawkes’ Day, hence the explosions.

Back to the van, posting an update plans dashed, and slept soundly despite the aircraft overhead.

G’night.