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SAFE CAVING

We want you to have safe and enjoyable caving trips. As well you enjoying the challenge of traversing a cave it is important that you do not adversely impact the cave environment or the fauna and flora that live within it. Cavers try and tread lightly and minimise their impact, so that others can follow and enjoy the cave as much as them. This can be summarised in the widely adopted outdoor code Leave No Trace which is described below.

SAFE CAVING

Learn how to help ensure you are safe while travelling to, and while you are underground.

CAVE LEADERSHIP

Learn about leading caving trips and download the cave leadership guide.

HARWOOD'S HOLE

Safety guidelines, practices and downloadable information for the Hardwoods hole area.

CAVE CONSERVATION

Learn about cave conservation and guidelines for ensuring caves are looked after.

NZSS Minimum Impact Code DownloadMt Owen Guideline | DownloadKarst Management Guideline Download

PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE

Make sure you have contacted the property owner and got permission to visit. Have the right gear and level of experience required for the cave. The best way to do this is to go with other experienced cavers and by going on club trips organised by your local caving group. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when you are expected back.

TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE GROUND

When travelling to cave entrances stick to formed tracks or durable ground to minimise damage to plants. Cavers rarely camp underground except on large expeditions as it is not particularly comfortable and staying in one place for extended periods can cause a lot of damage. Travelling on durable ground means not risking walking on virgin cave formation, taking your packs off when crawling so as not to break stalactites or straws, and not walking on ancient mud banks which may look ‘fresh’ but could be hundreds of years old. Caves aren’t really affected by anything else other than humans, so any damage that we do is permanent. Cave formations can take millennia to form, but only a second to break. Tape and string lines are used to protect particularly delicate areas.

RESPECT WILDLIFE AND FARM ANIMALS

It is fine to photograph eels, fish, spiders, wētā, or kura you find in caves – but leave them alone. Similarly when crossing farm paddocks to or from a cave entrance avoid spooking farm animals. Leave all farm gates as you found them. Also be aware of electric fences, as the current may conduct through wet caving overalls or metal hardware!

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS

By “others” we mean not only other cave users but also landowners in particular. Treat all private property with due respect.  Leave things inside and outside the cave as you would want to find them.

MINIMISE THE EFFECTS OF FIRE

Fires in cave entrances can cause discolouration to the roof and formations. Keep stoves away from cave walls.

LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND

Be it a rock, a piece of cave formation, a wētā or anything else, leave it where you found it. This ensures the cave can not only be enjoyed by others but the ecosystem remains intact. Boot-washing stations are sometimes installed before clean areas of formation, so if you find one obey the signage. Graffiti of any kind is not acceptable.

DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY

Pack out absolutely everything you take in, including faeces. Urinating in streams is acceptable but avoided if possible.

CAVE LEADERSHIP

NZSS has a short guide on good cave leadership which you can find via the link below. There can be more than one ‘leader’ on a trip, and it is a hallmark of New Zealand cavers that they take care of each other on a trip to make it challenging but enjoyable for all.

FITNESS & COMPETENCE

Assess whether your party’s fitness, competence, and gear is suitable for the cave. You may have to tell people that the trip is not appropriate for them.

CONTACT PERSON

Make sure you have a contact person who knows where you are going, when you are expected out, and what to do if you do not make contact by the pre-arranged time.

LAND PERMISSION

Ensure you have permission to enter the cave if it is required.

PREPARE

Get as much knowledge as you can about the cave beforehand: what obstacles and hazards there are, and what gear is required.

Cave Leadership Info | Download

HARWOOD HOLE

Harwood’s hole has had many rescues and call-outs in recent years. This is mainly caused by inexperienced parties getting lost in the cave or trying to return on the steep, ill-defined path. There have also been incidents caused by gear failure, or by people getting to the bottom of the shaft and realising they were completely out of their depth. You need experienced cavers who know the cave to be sure of a safe and enjoyable trip.
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Neither the local caving club nor NZSS provides a guiding service through Harwood Hole.

Please refer to the Department of Conservation guidelines.

Harwood Hole | Information

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ABOUT NZSS

NEW ZEALAND SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Mission Statement

To be the national speleological body for New Zealand, assist in the conservation of caves and karst, and to represent the interests of its members.

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