Takaka Hill

Takaka Hill is a range of hills located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. Made of marble which has weathered into many strange forms and with numerous sink holes, it is typical karst country.

The only road linking over the hill winds around the flanks of Takaka Hill, following the valleys of the Takaka River to the northwest and the Riwaka River to the southeast.

It rises to 760 metres, and separates the coastal communities of Golden Bay from those of the more populous Tasman Bay to the southeast and because of its winding nature isolates Golden Bay from the rest of the South Island.

Takaka Hill is notable for its marble quarry and for many caves, including Ngarua Caves which are open to the public and feature deposits of moa bones. Harwood's Hole, at one time the deepest cave in New Zealand, is also to be found on Takaka Hill.

Takaka Hill, as many other areas in and around the Golden Bay, has also been the location for many scenes filmed for "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.

External links

* [http://caves.org.nz/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NZSS/CavingAreas Caving areas in New Zealand]