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Caves: Exploring New Zealand's Subterranean Wilderness
New Zealanders as a collective share a deep connection with the outdoors. Our rivers, forests, and mountains are part of our national identity but our caves are less well-known and often misunderstood. Though nearly every corner of the country has been explored and mapped, exploration beneath our land is still in its infancy. This book takes readers on a journey into New Zealand's longest and deepest caves, through one of the world's most dangerous cave dives, and prospecting for a totally new kind of cave on a South Island glacier. In Caves: Exploring New Zealand's Subterranean Wilderness, Marcus and Neil share their passion for caving with well-researched narrative and dramatic photos - it's as close as you'll get to real caving without getting your socks wet. Caves are places of mystery where few people dare to venture. They are also a valuable resource both for science and recreation and we hope that by sharing our knowledge, and experience in New Zealand's caves we may inspire others to enjoy and protect them. This book is the first of its kind for New Zealand and no effort has been spared in its making. It is for both cavers and non-cavers alike, to inspire, and showcase the true beauty of caves and the mettle of those who explore them.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 7, 2020
Prepare to be stunned. This book is a triumph in every way, from the underworldly subject matter, the exceptional photographs, the brilliantly executed maps and the engaging text. The masterful choice of cover photograph shows a caver descending into a marble abyss on the flanks of Mt Owen, aptly capturing the sense of unknown below, while at the same time depicting the sort of above-ground landscapes most of us are more familiar with.
My caving experience has been limited to a few trips into the limestone recesses of Mahoenui, Waitomo, the central North Island and the Manawatu; just sufficient to give me a sense of how cavers might develop a fascination for these otherworldly places of perpetual darkness, of dripping water, of sometimes wondrous formations. And to get a sense of the equally dark sense of humour shared by many cavers. On one trip, members of the Manawatu Speleological Society sent us novices into a crawl chamber, supposedly in search of a fantastic cavern. Only when wedged 12-deep in the dead-end did we hear their slightly evil laughter echoing.
In recent decades, cavers Neil Silverwood and Marcus Thomas have been at the forefront of underground exploration. Throughout the book, they offer us an insight into the unique challenges faced by cavers discovering chambers and passages yet to be lit by a single beam of light. In many ways, caving is where mountaineering was more than century ago. For example, Silverwood’s discovery of Stormy Pot in 2011 led to a long hoped-for connection to Nettlebed, which finally pushed our deepest cave well beyond the kilometre mark (1174 metres). That happened just three years ago, in 2014. The cutting edge of modern cave exploration involves cunning use of single rope techniques, water dyes, smoke, electronic mapping devices, judicious use of tools for widening squeezes, and good old-fashioned guts. As veteran caver John Patterson writes in the introduction, ‘Cave exploring is for those who seek adventure. It is not mainstream, or a spectator sport, and it requires a high level of experience, planning, perseverance, endurance, and especially teamwork.’
The opening three spreads show the diversity of landscapes beneath which New Zealand caves have formed; the mountain marble of Mt Owen, rolling Waikato farmland, and a verdant West Coast valley. ‘Caves’, write the authors, ‘are time capsules preserving the planet’s geologic and life history.’ The first chapter on geology provides an accessible account of how caves form, and some of the discoveries made within them – such as ancient whale skeletons, animal fossils, and partially preserved moa remains. The second chapter details the pioneering descent of Harwood Hole (Abel Tasman National Park) in 1957–60. At the time the giant tomo was the deepest known cave outside Europe, and these expeditions established modern-day cave exploration in New Zealand.
Subsequent chapters describe the discovery of some of our most famous and fascinating caves, from the deepest (Stormy Port-Nettlebed under Mt Arthur) to the longest (Bulmer under Mt Owen) to those in Paparoa National Park, Waitomo, Golden Bay and the Tablelands. Thomas and Silverwood take turns describing their own experiences, using the immediacy of a magazine-style tone to place the reader in the cave with them. In one particularly gripping account, Thomas relates escaping Blackbird Cave when his jumars failed to work on the iced-up rope.
A map for every featured cave shows its complexities, peculiarities and dimensions. These clever creations not only profile how the underground passages are positioned in relation to the terrain above, and where the major features are, but also offer insights about how each cave formed.
The images are simply mind-blowing. Some required a cast of characters, an array of additional lighting, exposures in the range of hours, and careful processing to get the right colour balance. Taken in some of the most difficult and harsh conditions imaginable, they are a technical and artistic triumph. One of my favourites, a monochrome, shows Marcus Thomas (with a grimace) as he abseils into Waitomo’s Mangawhitikau Cave amid a cascade of falling water. In other images, surreal chambers dwarf the figures of tiny cavers, the carefully positioned lights casting their shadows as inky outlines on the walls. There’s a satisfying subterfuge to this – photography supposedly shows things as they are, but in a cave this would be pitch-black nothingness. Instead, it’s the cavers’ torch beams, the photographer’s flash and an array of hidden lights that reveal the wonders from the otherwise blind void. In that sense, these are artistic visions as much as photographs.
Another image shows cavers perched on a bivvy ledge high above a Paparoa valley, the light of their camp contrasting with the deepening shadows of the surrounding forest. It’s an example of the diversity of images that give the book depth and strength. Some show details such as delicate formations, while others feature cavernous chambers, modern-day cavers in action, or historic scenes from past expeditions. The authors use text to paint pictures too; take Paul Caffyn’s description of camping in the Fox River cave: ‘With the lamps out it was like sleeping under the stars, for the glowworms 30 metres above in the cave ceiling were as bright as the Milky Way – a world within a world.’
Much remains unknown about our caves, and the future of caving is tantalisingly bright – Silverwood estimates that only 10–20% of the Paparoa limestone (the country’s largest extent) has yet been explored.
Caves is a fusion of diverse talents resulting in a landmark publication. For such a high-quality book – probably the best one on caves published anywhere in the world – to have emerged from our tiny caving community (the New Zealand Speleological Society has just 340 members) says a great deal about their commitment and skills.
My caving experience has been limited to a few trips into the limestone recesses of Mahoenui, Waitomo, the central North Island and the Manawatu; just sufficient to give me a sense of how cavers might develop a fascination for these otherworldly places of perpetual darkness, of dripping water, of sometimes wondrous formations. And to get a sense of the equally dark sense of humour shared by many cavers. On one trip, members of the Manawatu Speleological Society sent us novices into a crawl chamber, supposedly in search of a fantastic cavern. Only when wedged 12-deep in the dead-end did we hear their slightly evil laughter echoing.
In recent decades, cavers Neil Silverwood and Marcus Thomas have been at the forefront of underground exploration. Throughout the book, they offer us an insight into the unique challenges faced by cavers discovering chambers and passages yet to be lit by a single beam of light. In many ways, caving is where mountaineering was more than century ago. For example, Silverwood’s discovery of Stormy Pot in 2011 led to a long hoped-for connection to Nettlebed, which finally pushed our deepest cave well beyond the kilometre mark (1174 metres). That happened just three years ago, in 2014. The cutting edge of modern cave exploration involves cunning use of single rope techniques, water dyes, smoke, electronic mapping devices, judicious use of tools for widening squeezes, and good old-fashioned guts. As veteran caver John Patterson writes in the introduction, ‘Cave exploring is for those who seek adventure. It is not mainstream, or a spectator sport, and it requires a high level of experience, planning, perseverance, endurance, and especially teamwork.’
The opening three spreads show the diversity of landscapes beneath which New Zealand caves have formed; the mountain marble of Mt Owen, rolling Waikato farmland, and a verdant West Coast valley. ‘Caves’, write the authors, ‘are time capsules preserving the planet’s geologic and life history.’ The first chapter on geology provides an accessible account of how caves form, and some of the discoveries made within them – such as ancient whale skeletons, animal fossils, and partially preserved moa remains. The second chapter details the pioneering descent of Harwood Hole (Abel Tasman National Park) in 1957–60. At the time the giant tomo was the deepest known cave outside Europe, and these expeditions established modern-day cave exploration in New Zealand.
Subsequent chapters describe the discovery of some of our most famous and fascinating caves, from the deepest (Stormy Port-Nettlebed under Mt Arthur) to the longest (Bulmer under Mt Owen) to those in Paparoa National Park, Waitomo, Golden Bay and the Tablelands. Thomas and Silverwood take turns describing their own experiences, using the immediacy of a magazine-style tone to place the reader in the cave with them. In one particularly gripping account, Thomas relates escaping Blackbird Cave when his jumars failed to work on the iced-up rope.
A map for every featured cave shows its complexities, peculiarities and dimensions. These clever creations not only profile how the underground passages are positioned in relation to the terrain above, and where the major features are, but also offer insights about how each cave formed.
The images are simply mind-blowing. Some required a cast of characters, an array of additional lighting, exposures in the range of hours, and careful processing to get the right colour balance. Taken in some of the most difficult and harsh conditions imaginable, they are a technical and artistic triumph. One of my favourites, a monochrome, shows Marcus Thomas (with a grimace) as he abseils into Waitomo’s Mangawhitikau Cave amid a cascade of falling water. In other images, surreal chambers dwarf the figures of tiny cavers, the carefully positioned lights casting their shadows as inky outlines on the walls. There’s a satisfying subterfuge to this – photography supposedly shows things as they are, but in a cave this would be pitch-black nothingness. Instead, it’s the cavers’ torch beams, the photographer’s flash and an array of hidden lights that reveal the wonders from the otherwise blind void. In that sense, these are artistic visions as much as photographs.
Another image shows cavers perched on a bivvy ledge high above a Paparoa valley, the light of their camp contrasting with the deepening shadows of the surrounding forest. It’s an example of the diversity of images that give the book depth and strength. Some show details such as delicate formations, while others feature cavernous chambers, modern-day cavers in action, or historic scenes from past expeditions. The authors use text to paint pictures too; take Paul Caffyn’s description of camping in the Fox River cave: ‘With the lamps out it was like sleeping under the stars, for the glowworms 30 metres above in the cave ceiling were as bright as the Milky Way – a world within a world.’
Much remains unknown about our caves, and the future of caving is tantalisingly bright – Silverwood estimates that only 10–20% of the Paparoa limestone (the country’s largest extent) has yet been explored.
Caves is a fusion of diverse talents resulting in a landmark publication. For such a high-quality book – probably the best one on caves published anywhere in the world – to have emerged from our tiny caving community (the New Zealand Speleological Society has just 340 members) says a great deal about their commitment and skills.
January 4, 2018
Well researched and accompanied by spectacular photos. I was totally engrossed after reading about the discovery of a whales vertebrae in one of the caves. The photo (and caption) of Bee Fradis in the "Phallic Room" is priceless! Bonus points for the glossary which made this book even more accessible for those just dabbling with geology. This book is a must have for the shelves of keen geologists.
July 23, 2018
This is a truly outstanding book full of the beauty, wonder and adventure of cave exploration. Superb photos compliment clear text that describes what cave exploration is really like. If you have the slightest interest in caves or the New Zealand wildernesses then this is a book well worth buying
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews