Winter Series 2022: Punakaiki Cavern

 A dip into caving at Punakaiki

The whole of the coastline around Punakaiki is limestone karst country so it is riddled with caves, caverns, overhangs and sinkholes. There is a large cavern just before Punakaiki Settlement which goes back into the hillside for around 50 meters and is big enough to stand up inside. 

Heading along SH6 to the Punakaiki Cavern

Map: Punakaiki Cavern is about 300 meters south of the settlement

Punakaiki Cavern on SH 6 at Punakaiki

Karen and I visited the cavern during our recent trip to Punakaiki and the surrounding area. We parked at the motel we were staying at and walked the 300 odd meters along SH6 to get to the cave. There is a small parking bay near the cavern...it will only hold 3-4 cars so it will usually be full.

Descend the stairs to access Punakaiki Cavern

The Punakaiki Cavern has a flat area to its front

Once you get down on the flat ground in front of the cave you climb another set of stairs to gain access to the cavern portal.

Karen climbs up to the portal of Punakaiki Cavern

There are fossils in the surrounding limestone, Punakaiki Cavern

Nikau Palms in front of the Punakaiki Cavern

Note that once you get past the portal it is hellishly dark in the cave system so you need to bring a torch with you so you can see where you are going. Boots and a jacket can also be useful...it is muddy and a good 10 degrees colder in the cavern than outside.

Portal into the Punakaiki Cavern at Punakaiki

 

Looking out of the portal at Punakaiki Cavern

You can stand once past the initial portal at Punakaiki Cavern

There are two arms to the cavern at Punakaiki...the right one is short at around 20 meters and peters out at a small tunnel too small for a person to fit through. 

Little light enters Punakaiki Cavern from outside

The cavern has been carved out of the rock by water...over the eons rain water has eroded channels through the rock which have enlarged into caverns, caves and tunnels. This cavern might well have been developing for tens of thousands of years...it is probably not older than this as it has only the barest beginning of stalactites growing in it.

Limestone accretions on the wall of Punakaiki Cavern

The interior surface of the cave is damp clay and it can be quite slippery and will easily mark your clothing with patches of soil. We both had to dust ourselves down after being in the cave and our hands were covered with clay dust. 

View to the back of the shorter passage...Punakaiki Cavern

Pool of water in the front of Punakaiki Cavern

Limestone accumulations inside Punakaiki Cavern

In times of heavy rain there is a small stream which runs along the floor of the cavern...you can still enter but it will probably be wet and muddy. Karst stone is absolutely full of holes, cracks and passages ...water can still be percolating down weeks after any rain. It was a wet week when we visited and there was about 3 cm of water constantly flowing along the stream bed. 

The small stream inside Punakaiki Cavern

Stream in Punakaiki Cavern...3 cm deep!!!

The left hand arm is much longer and can be navigated almost to its furthest reach about 50 meters into the hillside. Both are large enough to stand in although you have to squeeze through a tight point on the left hand arm to reach the back.

You climb over a hillock to the second passage

There is a second much smaller portal at the front end of the second passage. You can climb up to look outside but as it exits higher up on a bluff you cannot reach the road this way. Take care climbing to the top as it is wet, muddy and slippery as hell...

Portal at front of second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

Punakaiki Cavern...the second portal

Some cretins have scratched their names etc. on the limestone walls in the cavern. Please don't do this...it is vandalism and will take literally hundreds to thousands of years to disappear!!!

Graffiti inside Punakaiki Cavern...bad children!!!

Strange limestone feature inside Punakaiki Cavern

The cavern is free to access and there are a set of stairs at the portal to make it easier to get into the cavern. DOC have placed reflective markers in the cavern so you can follow them to the end of the two navigable arms and back to the entrance. 

Heading to the rear of the second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

There are two small curtain waterfalls inside the second of the passages...they were running hard as it had been raining for several days before we arrived. The water slowly seeps down through cracks in the rock so it might conceivably have been rain water from weeks ago...

Curtain waterfall inside Punakaiki Cavern

There is a very narrow crack to squeeze through to get to the back of the second passage...I joked to Karen that it was like being born once again!

Tight squeeze into second passage at Punakaiki Cavern

Another curtain waterfall inside Punakaiki Cavern

View back from end of second passage...Punakaiki Cavern

We headed back to the entrance after checking out the cavern and headed down to the road to head for our accommodation. 

Heading out the portal at Punakaiki Cavern

A visit to the cave is a great filler exercise, you can explore the whole cavern system in under 15-20 minutes so this is a great experience if you are travelling through the area. We visited on the way back from visiting Truman's Track. 

Back down the stairs outside Punakaiki Cavern

Verdant growth outside Punakaiki Cavern

...I like the little caver at the top...

There are a number of fossils visible in the rock at the bottom of the stairs into Punakaiki Cavern so we had a look as we left. There are lots of shells and aquatic crustaceans embedded in the rock and clearly visible...

Fossils in the limestone outside Punakaiki Cavern

Please note that the flat bowl in front of Punakaiki Cavern will flood after very heavy rain in which case it will probably be impossible to enter the cave. 

The flat in front of Punakaiki Cavern can sometimes flood

Last look at the Punakaiki Cavern portal

We walked back to the motel along the seawall they have constructed along Punakaiki Beach. There is a sidewalk alongside SH6 and then an old access road on the top of the seawall. This lead right back to our motel....

View to Punakaiki Settlement from near the Cavern

If you are ever spending a few days around Punakaiki go down and have an explore in the cavern. It is worth a visit and is one of the easier cave systems you can visit here in New Zealand. 

Access: Punakaiki Cavern is on SH6 approximately 200 meters south of the Punakaiki Tavern on the inland side of the road. It is well sign posted and visible from the highway. 

Track Times: It only takes 15 minutes to fully explore Punakaiki Cavern, it takes 5-10 minutes to walk from the Pancake Rocks car park to the cavern entrance.

Miscellaneous: Some slippery rocks inside the cavern so boots or grippy shoes are the best thing to wear when visiting. It is significantly colder inside the cavern so bring a warm top. There are stairs at the entrance to the portal.

You Tube: Punakaiki Cavern