LOCATION
Te Puna o Riuwaka. Take SH60 from Riuwaka up the Takaka Hill and at 5km take the left fork in the road, signposted to the Resurgence. Drive another 7km alongside the river and you’ll come to a carpark and picnic area and find the beautiful waharoa at the start of the short (7 minute) walk to Te Puna o Riuwaka. If you’re planning a plunge in the Crystal Pool, be warned: it’s a very bracing 11 degrees!
Te Puna (meaning spring of water) o Riuwaka is where the northern branch of the Riuwaka River rises from caverns deep below the Takaka Hill. The water, as pure as Pupu Springs, has run its course through marble rocks and passages down to the foot of the hill to spring out into a deep, crystal-clear pool surrounded by huge moss-covered marble boulders and towering ancient trees. The river tumbles on down the hill through a series of pools, including the stunning Crystal Pool.
The entrance to the 15 minute walk to Te Puna o Riuwaka is marked by a beautiful carved waharoa (gateway) depicting Te Ᾱtiawa o Te Waka-a-Maui on the right, Ngāti Rārua on the left. The figurehead at the top, gazing into the distance, is Hui Te Rangiora, the great explorer who is believed to have rested here during an epic voyage from Rarotonga that took him to Antarctica around 650AD.
For part of its journey, the river flows underground through limestone caves, returning to the open air at The Riuwaka Resurgence. This spot is popular with both holidaymakers and divers, as the water is always crystal clear, and is very cold even in the heat of mid-summer.
The name of the river was officially altered to Riuwaka River in August 2014, following the Treaty of Waitangi settlements between the Crown and local iwi Ngāti Rārua and Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui.
Rain falling on the hill is collected by this system and piped underground to resurge here at Riwaka.
Diving
In the early 1960's they suited up with their twin-hose aqualungs and attached a rope clothesline, a camera kept dry in a Perspex box, and preserving jars filled with candles and matches. They tied slates to their belts so they could write notes, and picked up rubber torches, sealed shut with hose clips.
They dived in, and, one by one, sank below the surface and entered the black cave. Hours passed. On the banks, Jean King, Vera McDonald, and Betty Hume, who was also Mr King's sister, were timing the men's air, and worried as it got closer to running out. The children played in the river, and grew cold as shadows moved from the cavern's walls to the water.
Finally, the divers broke the surface, triumphant. The map that the Lands and Survey Department eventually produced from that trip was mounted at the entrance to the Resurgence, which was secret no more.
History and culture
Te Puna o Riuwaka is of particular cultural significance to the people of Te Atiawa and Ngati Rarua, who recognise it as wahi tapu, a sacred place.
Know before you go
- Dogs and camping are not permitted.
- The rocks in the riverbed are very slippery.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS
Locate the six numbers on this sign (DOC, pictured above) ,
The sign is as you drive into carpark no need to leave the area of the carpark!
Send an email to Stretch0(six numbers)@gmail.com. For example, Stretch0 and if the number was '123456', then send an email to Stretch0123456@gmail.com. This will reply with an auto generated reply, if you need to contact me please use the usual ways .
Put your username in the subject line.
The text of your email can be blank. You will receive a confirmation email (remember to check your spam folder too) almost instantly if your answers are correct, at which time you may log your find. There is no requirement for a photo but,you are welcome to add if you wish,
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.