5 caves · down to 245 m
Cave diving in Golden Bay and Nelson
- Caves5
- Max depth245 m
Why come here
Golden Bay and Nelson are not yet a destination for an ordinary cave-diving trip: the caves in the marble and limestone of Tasman and the West Coast are explored by a small group of New Zealand cave divers and expeditions, and we don't know a provider that takes visitors. It does hold one of the deepest cave dives in the world: the Pearse Resurgence in Kahurangi National Park, explored to -245 m in 2020 in 6–7 °C water. The water is cold everywhere, rain floods the caves quickly, and the Riuwaka Resurgence and Te Waikoropupū Springs are sacred places for the iwi; Te Waikoropupū is closed to all contact. Do you know a dive centre, guide or club that guides cave dives here? Let us know.
On a rest day
- Te Puna Wai o Riuwaka: A 10-minute forest walk to the clear pool where the Riuwaka comes out from under Tākaka Hill; a sacred place for the iwi.
- Hawkes Lookout: On SH60, 10 km from Riwaka: a five-minute path past marble outcrops to a view down to the resurgence.
- Te Waikoropupū Springs: About 6 km west of Tākaka: New Zealand's largest springs, with some of the clearest water ever measured, seen from boardwalks and viewing platforms; the water itself is closed.
All 5 caves
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nile River caves (Charleston)ℹ Info · explorationNot known yet · Full cave | 37 m | Not known yet | Full cave |
| Pearse Resurgenceℹ Info · explorationNot known yet · Full cave | 245 m | Not known yet | Full cave |
| Riuwaka Resurgence (Te Puna o Riuwaka)ℹ Info · explorationPermission neededNot known yet · Full cave | – | Not known yet | Full cave |
| Spitalls System (Tākaka Valley)ℹ Info · explorationPermission needed📍 Location not public: on private land in the Tākaka Valley karst.Not known yet · Full cave | – | Not known yet | Full cave |
| Te Waikoropupū Springs⛔ Closed to diversPermission neededNot known yet · Full cave | – | Not known yet | Full cave |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Where to stay
Find a place near Motueka, Tākaka, Westport
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- MotuekaBooking.com ↗
- TākakaBooking.com ↗
- WestportBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 111. Diving accident: Diving Emergency Service (DES) 0800 4DES 111, 24 hours a day. Chamber: Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Christchurch Hospital (Lower Ground Floor, Parkside West; 03 364 0045 ext. 80045), round the clock for all of New Zealand south of Taupō.
Access and rules
- Wāhi tapu: Te Puna o Riuwaka (the Riuwaka Resurgence) is a sacred place for Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Rārua and Ngāti Tama. We found no public agreement or rule about diving there; respect the place and ask DOC and the iwi before you undertake anything. The Spitalls are on private land.
Closed or restricted
- Closed: the waters of Te Waikoropupū Springs, Fish Creek and Springs River are closed to all forms of contact, diving included (DOC).
Gas and fills
- Gas: we know no fill station for these caves; the expeditions bring their own rebreathers and gases.
Water and season
- Water and weather: the water is cold (6–7 °C in the Pearse Resurgence) and Dive Pacific calls a drysuit an absolute necessity. Heavy rain floods the West Coast caves and the Spitalls completely; expeditions then lose days waiting.
Getting around
- Travel: fly into Nelson (NSN). The Riuwaka Resurgence is near Motueka, the Spitalls and Te Waikoropupū in the Tākaka Valley over Tākaka Hill, the Pearse Resurgence at the head of the Pearse Valley (a 3-hour walk) and the Nile River caves near Charleston on the West Coast, a long drive south.
Good to know
- No provider: in the karst of Tasman and the West Coast, cave diving is expedition work by a small group of New Zealand cave divers. We know no dive centre, guide, club or fill station that takes visitors; that is why every cave here is listed as information. According to Dive Pacific, New Zealanders usually train as cave divers overseas, because local instructors and training sites are scarce.
News
No recent news found about the caves in this region.
Searched automatically, last on 5 Nov 2026.
No provider in Golden Bay and Nelson yet
The caves here are listed as information only: we don't know a dive centre, guide or club yet that takes visitors, so you can't plan a trip here yet. Do you know one, or are you one? Let us know.