Clifden Limestone Caves
Encyclopedia
The Clifden Limestone Cave System is located in the Western Southland Region
of New Zealand
close to the hamlet of Clifden
on private land.
fragments, sand
and pebbles
in the Epeiric Zealandia sea
. This sediment was buried and compressed beneath layers of sediment
deposited over many centuries and later eroded to form the present land surface. The cave system was, and is still, formed by Karst topography
.
in the Clifden Cave System because of the damp environment with little or no wind
.
system runs about 300 metres in length
and is open for spelunking. The cave system has a tendency to flood after rain, giving this undeveloped cave system a "hard" rating by spelunkers.
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
close to the hamlet of Clifden
Clifden, New Zealand
The hamlet of Clifden, New Zealand is a small rural community on the Waiau River, Southland, New Zealand. It is notable for being the site of the Clifden Suspension Bridge and the Clifden Limestone Caves, well-known since early European settlers made it a "must see" place to visit.-Clifden war...
on private land.
Geology
The caves were formed in the Miocene period (c. 22-18 million years ago) from the accumulation of shellExoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
fragments, sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and pebbles
Pebbles
Pebbles may refer to:* Pebbles, small rocks* Pebbles , Boston-area radio DJ* Pebbles , British-trained thoroughbred racehorse of the 1980s* Pebbles Flintstone, a character in The Flintstones animated television show...
in the Epeiric Zealandia sea
Zealandia (continent)
Zealandia , also known as Tasmantis or the New Zealand continent, is a nearly submerged continental fragment that sank after breaking away from Australia 60–85 million years ago, having separated from Antarctica between 85 and 130 million years ago...
. This sediment was buried and compressed beneath layers of sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
deposited over many centuries and later eroded to form the present land surface. The cave system was, and is still, formed by Karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
.
Ecology
Glow worms or titiwai (Arachnocampa luminosa) find a natural habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
in the Clifden Cave System because of the damp environment with little or no wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
.
Recreation
The caveCave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
system runs about 300 metres in length
Length
In geometric measurements, length most commonly refers to the longest dimension of an object.In certain contexts, the term "length" is reserved for a certain dimension of an object along which the length is measured. For example it is possible to cut a length of a wire which is shorter than wire...
and is open for spelunking. The cave system has a tendency to flood after rain, giving this undeveloped cave system a "hard" rating by spelunkers.