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Story: Limestone country

Cave Stream resurgence

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Cave Stream resurgence

Cave Stream is one of the most accessible walk-and-wade caves in New Zealand, at Castle Hill by the main road from Arthur’s Pass to Christchurch. It is also the site of two of New Zealand’s four recorded caving fatalities. The water is cold, and people venturing through it need warm clothing, sturdy footwear and one torch each to follow the 362-metre passage upstream from the resurgence. Streams that disappear underground and then re-emerge are typical drainage features in karst landscapes.

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by Carl Walrond

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How to cite this page

Paul Williams, Limestone country – Karst, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12384/cave-stream-resurgence (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Paul Williams, published 1 March 2009.