List of caves in New Zealand facts for kids

New Zealand is a country famous for its amazing natural beauty, and that includes its incredible caves! Caves are natural underground spaces big enough for people to enter. They are formed over thousands or even millions of years by water, lava, or even glaciers. New Zealand has many different types of caves, from huge limestone caverns to cool lava tubes. Many of these caves are home to unique creatures, like the famous glowworms.

Not all caves have an official name. The people who explore and map caves, called cavers, usually name them when they are first discovered.

North Island Caves: Exploring Underground Worlds

The North Island of New Zealand has some fascinating caves, especially those formed by volcanic activity.

• Auckland Volcanic Field: Lava Tubes and Caves
  • Many caves in this area are actually lava tubes. These are like tunnels formed when hot lava flows underground and the outside cools and hardens, leaving a hollow tube.
    • Rangitoto lava caves: Found on Rangitoto Island, these are cool tunnels left behind by ancient lava flows.
    • Wiri Lava Cave: Another example of a lava tube cave in the Auckland area.

• Waitomo District: Home of the Glowworms
  • The Waitomo area is world-famous for its stunning limestone caves. These caves were carved out by water dissolving rock over millions of years. They are especially known for their amazing glowworms, which light up the darkness like tiny stars.
    • Aranui Cave: Known for its beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, which are rock formations that hang from the ceiling or grow from the floor.
    • Gardner's Gut: One of New Zealand's longest and deepest cave systems, offering a challenging adventure for experienced cavers.
    • Ruakuri Cave: This cave offers a unique walking experience with spiral ramps and amazing rock formations, often with underground rivers.
    • Waitomo Cave: Also known as the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, this is where you can take a boat ride under thousands of twinkling glowworms.

South Island Caves: Natural Wonders Below Ground

The South Island also boasts many impressive caves, often found in its rugged mountains and limestone regions.

• Broken River Cave: Located in Canterbury, this cave is popular for caving adventures, often involving water.
• Cathedral Caves: Found along the coast in the Catlins, these are huge sea caves that can be explored at low tide. They are very impressive!
• Cave Stream: A popular spot for caving, where a stream flows right through a long cave.
• Clifden Limestone Caves: These caves in Southland are known for their interesting formations and are a great place to explore.
• Honeycomb Hill Cave: This cave is special because it contains many fossils of ancient birds, including the extinct moa.
• Metro Cave / Te Ananui Cave: A large cave system in Kahurangi National Park, known for its size and underground rivers.
• Mount Arthur Caves: Deep and Challenging
  • The Mount Arthur area is home to some of New Zealand's deepest and most complex cave systems.
    • Ellis Basin cave system: A significant cave system within the Mount Arthur region.
    • Nettlebed Cave: This is New Zealand's deepest known cave, reaching incredible depths underground.
• Moncks Cave: Located near Christchurch, this cave is important for its archaeological finds, showing how early Māori people used the area.
• Mount Owen Caves: Hidden Gems
  • Mount Owen also has a network of impressive caves.
    • Bohemia Cave: One of the notable caves in the Mount Owen area.
    • Bulmer Cavern: Another significant cave system found on Mount Owen.
• Rawhiti Cave: Famous for its amazing display of stalactites, which are often covered in green algae, making them look very unique.
• Riwaka Resurgence: This is where the Riwaka River, which flows underground for a distance, comes back to the surface from a cave opening.
• Tākaka Hill Caves: Popular for Visitors
  • Tākaka Hill is known for its many caves, some of which are open to the public.
    • Harwoods Hole: One of New Zealand's deepest vertical shafts, a huge hole in the ground that drops straight down.
    • Ngārua Caves: These caves are open for tours and feature many beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.
• Te Ana-au Caves: Located near Te Anau, these caves are famous for their glowworms and underground waterfalls.
  • Aurora Cave: Part of the Te Ana-au cave system, known for its beautiful formations and glowworms.

See also

• List of caves
• List of rock formations of New Zealand
• Speleology