Oparara Basin Arches facts for kids
The Oparara Basin Arches are amazing natural tunnels. They are made of limestone rock. The Oparara River carved them out over a very long time. You can find them in the Oparara Basin in New Zealand.
Two of the most famous arches are the 'Oparara Arch' and the 'Moria Gate Arch'. The Oparara Arch is huge, big enough for a multi-storey house! The Moria Gate Arch is a bit smaller.
You can reach these arches by driving on a forestry road. It's about 9 km north of Karamea. The road is 12 km long and can be a bit rough. Most cars can use it for much of the year. There's a carpark with a shelter and toilets near the Oparara River. This is where your walks to the arches begin. You can also find mountain bike tracks and a lake nearby.
The Amazing Oparara Arch
The Oparara Arch is the largest natural rock arch in the southern hemisphere. It's truly massive! Some measurements say it is 219 meters long. It can be up to 79 meters wide and 43 meters high. Imagine a building this big!
You can reach the southern entrance of Oparara Arch by walking. The path is well-made and takes about half an hour. It follows the Oparara River upstream. The track crosses a small bridge. Then it leads you inside the Oparara Arch. You will go up some wooden steps to a great viewpoint.
This viewpoint is high up inside the arch. From here, you can see both entrances of the arch. You can also look down at the Oparara River below. After it rains, a small waterfall might appear inside the arch. Before the main tunnel, there's another tall rock arch. It's about 10 meters long. Near the viewpoint, you can see the beginnings of stalactites and stalagmites. These are cool rock formations.
Exploring Moria Gate Arch
Moria Gate Arch is smaller than Oparara Arch. You can reach it from the same Oparara carpark. There's a 1.5-hour loop track. This track takes you to Moria Gate Arch and the Moria Gate Mirror Tarn. Their names come from The Lord of the Rings books. Many other places in the area have names inspired by the books too!
You'll reach Moria Gate Arch after about half an hour of easy walking. To go into the river cave, you'll go down some slippery rocks. There's a chain and railings to help you hold on. Once inside, the ground is flat and easy to walk on. You don't have to go into the cave. The loop track continues over the arch to a viewpoint. From there, you can see the upstream entrance. Part of the path is paved with "footprints."
Moria Gate Arch is 19 meters high and 43 meters wide. Its ceiling has many stalactites and roots. The middle part of the cave is wide. Its floor is covered in sand from the Oparara River. This makes it easy to explore the cave along the river's edge. You can walk to both entrances.
Honeycomb Hill Arch: A Special Place
The Honeycomb Hill Arch is harder to get to. It's in a special, restricted part of the Kahurangi National Park. You need a permit to visit this area. This is because it holds important fossils. It also has remains of birds that are now extinct. You can only reach this rock arch by kayak.
