Fox River Caves
Paparoa National Park
- 2 hr 30 min return via same track
- Easy
Deep caves in the wall of a limestone gorge.
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Walking time
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2 hr 30 min |
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Distance
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8.0km |
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Type
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Return via same track
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Grade
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Easy |
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Bookings
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No bookings — open access
No — open access
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Starts
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Fox River, SH6, north of Punakaiki |
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Maps
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NZTopo50-BS19
NZTopo50-BS20 |
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Altitude
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10m
–
150m
Altitude change 140m
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From the car park on the north bank of the Fox River, follow the forest track to a junction (about 45 minutes). Here, the Inland Pack Track crosses the Fox River and continues on the true left bank. The caves track continues on the true right and begins an easy climb. After 30 minutes, the rocky track climbs directly toward the cliff, past patches of onga onga (native nettle).
The cave portal is striking, with the safe cave entrance being at top left (the entrance to the right is unsafe). The cave is lined with paving stones at various points and hangs with stalactites and straws. Tramping head lamps are barely adequate, and a strong torch is recommended. The cave continues into the hillside about 200m.
Allow about an hour to explore the cave on top of the 2.5 hr walking time. If you are visiting the caves as a side track from the Inland Pack Track, the walking time is reduced to 1 hr.