Cavers make breakthrough discovery deep within Takaka HillSupplied Michelle Alison, Phil Castle, Kieran Mckay, Tony Salmon and Chris Whitehouse in the Ironstone cave system. Inside the Ironstone cave system. The discovery makes the cave the deepest through-trip — 380 vertical metres from top to bottom — on the Takaka Hill, deeper than the famous Harwood's Hole. On Saturday, Mckay and Whitehouse entered the Ironstone cave system from the bottom, an undisclosed location in the East Takaka valley. Mckay said Salmon explored about a kilometre of the cave system with Rob Davies, but they were hampered by a steep waterfall.

Source: Stuff January 12, 2017 22:15 UTC