Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → The Southland →  Clifden Cave

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: Southern tip, Southland, New Zealand

Time Required: 2 hours (1 hour underground)

Red Tape/Notes: This is a real cave (not one of those commercial caves with a paved walkway and floodlights), so expect to get dirty and bring your own headlamp. The cave system is subject to flash flooding, so be aware of the recent rains and rain forecast before you go.

What’s Nearby?: The Catlins

This is one of my favorite stops. If you’re traveling from the Catlins to the Fiordlands or Milford Sound, I highly recommend including this cave in your itinerary. If you like caves, that is. If not, keep moving.

This cave used to be a popular stop for tourists – as far back as the 1890’s – but has since fallen off the radar. So much the better. The cave walls have seen plenty of graffiti from over a century of tourists and they deserve something of a break. The cave has reflective directional signs posted by the DOC, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost (you do need your own light though…the directional signs won’t help you if you don’t have a light). The directional signs are nice, because the cave is a rather windy labyrinth of passageways (which is why it’s fun!). For the most part, it’s easy walking, with only the occasional duck or scramble. The deep pool towards the end of the cave can be negotiated by a thin ledge (probably underwater), after which there are a couple of drops with helpful ladders in place. Turn your headlamps off periodically and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness – you’ll see glowworms! Hooray for nature!

The area around the cave consists of lovely rolling hills with sheep grazing, and there’s a cool bridge nearby (Clifden Suspension Bridge).

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → The Southland → Clifden Cave