Te Anaroa Cave

Long Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Devil's Boots, Rockville, Aorere Valley, 8 km from Collingwood, Golden Bay. (-40.734612, 172.634572)
Open:	closed. [2022]
Fee:	closed. [2022]
Classification:	Karst Cave Glowworm
Light:	none, electric torches provided.
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	John and Andrea McLellan, 526 Plain Road, Rockville, Collingwood 7073, Tel: +64-3524-8698, Cell: +64-275-248114, Free: 0800-832283 or 0800-tecaves (NZ only). E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

~1850	discovered by the Lash family.
1884	earliest signature in the cave by W.D. Lash.
1904	opened to the public.
DEC-2012	cave closed.

Description

The Te Anaroa Caves were discovered by the Lash family, who bought a farm in the area and called it Rockville. The original Te Anaroa Cave was later completed by two more discoveries, Te Anaroa Cave 2 and the Rebecca Glowworm Cave.

The caves are known for many beautiful speleothems, very bright and clear stalagmites and stalactites, curtains, straws and columns. Extraordinary are the rare gypsum flowers. Other highlights are fossilized scallops in the limestone, layed open by erosion, and cave sediments with penguin bones. The cave contains some graffiti from past cave explorers. The earliest signature is by W. D. Lash, dated 1884.

The cave has paths and wooden stairs, but good walking shoes are essential. There is no electric light, but lamps of various types are provided by the guide. But still it is a show cave, just one of the rougher ones...

The name Te Anaroa Cave is Maori for Long Cave. Such descriptive names tend to be rather common and so there is a second tourist cave named Cave Te Anaroa Cave on North Island.

Nearby are the rocks called Devil's Boots, limestone formations looking like upside down boots, hence the name. The idea is that the devil is underground and his boots are sticking out of the ground. We think the limestone rocks look more like a petrified wave, but we guess the name wave rock was already used.

Unfortunately the cave was closed in December 2012 and will not be reopening.