- Harwood Hole
Harwood (or Harwood's) Hole is a cave system located in the northwest of the
South Island ofNew Zealand . It is one of several importantcave systems inTakaka Hill , betweenGolden Bay andTasman Bay . Starting at the surface as a 50 metre round entrance and descending 183 metres, Harwood Hole is New Zealand's deepest vertical shaft. It later on connect with "Starlight Cave". The long rope descent is considered one of the most spectacular parts of thecaving experience at Harwood's. Harwood's Hole has an overall depth of 357 m.Henry Harwood (1844-1927), with John Horton and Thomas Manson, opened up the Canaan Downs area and discovered Harwoods Hole, though it was not immediately entered. It remained untouched until cavers
winch ed down in 1958. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/BushAndMountainRecreation/Caving/3/en Caving in New Zealand] (fromTe Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand )] Upon completion of exploration in 1959, Harwood Hole became the deepest explored cave in New Zealand, a record that stood for many years.References
External links
* [http://caves.org.nz/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NZSS/CavingAreas Caving areas in New Zealand]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/nv/davepage/cavingnz.har.html Photograph of the hole]
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