Other cave and karst inputs: Paparoa, Karamea, Fiordland National Park, Tonga

Proposed Paparoa National Park 

In 1982 the Native Forest Action Council and Royal Forest and Bird Society launched campaigns for the Paparoa State Forest to become National Park. The Paparoa syncline and associated karst is considered the most extant forested lowland polygonal karst and cave area in NZ. (Polygonal karst: extensive areas of closed depressions/dolines forming a polygonal-like network).

The proposal was strongly supported by Lands and Survey and recommended to the National Parks Authority. I vigorously sought the support of the NZSS and at every opportunity presented public talks on its ecological, karst and cave, scenic and recreational values.

Ōpārara  Honeycomb Hill cave and Limestone Arches, Karamea

In late 1984, I was Invited by NZFS Nelson to prepare a management report including protection, development and recreation opportunities for Honeycomb Hill Cave (HCC) and associated caves and karst and limestone arches. HCC is situated north of Karamea in the Ōpārara Basin at the head of the Ōpārara River. It features 13.7km of passages; 70 or more entrances; nationally significant deposits of large numbers of subfossil moa as well as numerous other extinct bird species; native frogs and lizards; extensive accumulations of subfossil land snails; and passages and chambers with a diversity of speleothems.

The report recommended that an extensive area of forested karst above and surrounding HCC, including the  botanically undamaged Honeycomb Hill Arch access be closed for scientific purposes only or by an NZFZS approved tourist concessionaire; application of the Cave Classification System; in-cave barriers and route marking; gating of the most significant palaeontological sites in HCC and nearby Moa Cave (One of NZ’s largest moa repositories); and permitted caving party numbers to HCC be limited to a maximum of 4 persons.

Further recommendations included an accurate survey of HCC; photo-monitoring of visitor impacts; installation of barriers and demarcation of fragile areas; and visitor routes roped off or delineated with red flagging tape. The report also recommended the cave gates be designed to allow bats to fly through whilst being too small for humans to gain access and a sign stating the reason for gating.

Access to the spectacularly large Ōpārara Arch and the Moria Gate Arch outside of the closed area was recommended to be unrestricted access, along with track redevelopment to and within the Box Canyon and Crazy Paving caves. Thus, the scientifically nationally important paleofaunal deposits and fragile areas were protected and karst and general cave visitor experience to the area provide for and enhanced.

My recommendations were accepted in toto and after the report was submitted, I arranged and presented a cave and karst familiarisation and management programme at the Waitomo Museum, along with field trips for a group of Nelson and Karamea NZFS staff.  

Luxmore Cave, Fiordland National Park 

In 1986 (?)  I visited Luxmore Cave near Mount Luxmore and Aurora Cave in Fiordland National Park. Although short and relatively small Luxmore Cave has impressive white stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, small chambers and glowworm displays. Unfortunately, being close to the Luxmore Hut and the Keppler Track, it was being frequently visited by track and hut users, and the white stalagmites, stalactites and flowstones were being damaged and muddied.

I consulted District Ranger Wally Sander former Fiordland National Park Chief Ranger who advised me to write and submit a report. The report recommended rerouting the Keppler Track and newly proposed Keppler Hut further away from the cave. Unfortunately, my recommendations were not accepted

Kingdom of Tonga-Anahulu Cave

 In 1989 I, Dave Williams and Dr Trevor Worthy were invited by ACKMA at the via a tourism consultancy company to survey Anahula Cave in Tonga and make recommendations for its tourist development for a local chief. The cave located at Haveluliku Village on the Eastern Side of the Tonga main island  had been previously poorly developed and the infrastructure dilapidated. The cave was generally redeveloped according to our report, along with a recommended cultural centre and is now a popular tourist destination.