Gardner's good
| Gardner's good
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 "Straws" - predecessors of stalactites in the cave |
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| Location: | Waikato , North Island , New Zealand | |
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Geographic location: |
38 ° 15 '51.8 " S , 175 ° 4' 30.3" O | |
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| Type: | Karst cave | |
| Overall length: | 12,197 m | |
| Particularities: | largest stalagmite in New Zealand | |
Gardner's Gut is a cave system in the region Waitomo in the region Waikato on the North Island of New Zealand . It is located in the Ruakuri Caves and Bush Scenic Reserve , an area that also has several other significant natural features. The area is administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC). With 12,197 meters of explored cave length, it is New Zealand's seventh longest cave system in 2015 and the longest on the North Island.
The caves with their two levels consist almost entirely of tunnels and caves washed out of the limestone from the Oligocene by flowing water , in one part water still flows today. In contrast to the nearby Waitomo Caves, they are not used for tourism and are used by New Zealand cave associations of the North Island for visits with beginners. However, professionally guided tours are also offered. The caves offer various typical features of caves such as narrow passages, narrow, winding passages, large caves, stalactites and "straws" as well as a hike through the bush to reach the cave. But the cave is easy enough to enter for untrained people with normal fitness and no claustrophobia . The part in the upper level of the cave system, usually done by beginners and guided tours, is around the two cave entrance near the river.
Because of the numerous visits by amateurs, damage to the sensitive limestone formations occurs in the cave by breaking off or polluting them so that they do not grow any further.
Inside the cave is the “Birthday Candle”, the largest stalagmite in the country with a height of six to seven meters and a diameter of about two meters.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Caves (from Te Ara an Encyclopedia of New Zealand)
- ↑ Ruakuri Caves & Bush Scenic Reserve ( Department of Conservation website )
- ↑ Cave Statistics . New Zealand Speleological Society , accessed April 11, 2018 .
- ^ Trail Stories - North Island The Center - Section 1: Auckland - Te Kuiti . Te Araroa , 2008, archived from the original on August 19, 2006 ; accessed on April 11, 2018 (English, original website no longer available).