Harwoods Hole
Takaka Hill
Your Nature Guide
Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
Nau mai, haere mai
Nau mai, haere mai
I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.
I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!
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Information
Harwoods Hole
5.8 km return | 1 hour 30 minutes return
This is a big hole, deep in the bush. It’s a magical forest, especially when it’s misty. Perfect place for fairy spotting.
A beautiful walk through the bush that eventually ends up in an old stream bed. Very nice and cool. This walk ends up at Harwoods Hole - a hole about 170m deep, this place is very popular with cavers. You may be lucky enough to see a group go down, or set the abseil up.
There are no safety barriers, just a huge hole! So look after your kids and don't be tempted to look too far down yourself.
Make sure you take the lookout side trip 5 minutes before Harwoods Hole. Some say it's more spectacular than the hole itself.
Walking Track
Access
Canaan Road is signposted on the right 10.4 km from the bottom of the hill. The unsealed road is passable in 2WD drive vehicles, but take care to avoid potholes. It’s a bit rough. The 10.8 km to the carpark at the road end passes through farmland and native beech forest. At the carpark are toilets and information panels. The start of the track is signposted.
Track
This forest track can be muddy in places. You should heed the warning signs and not veer from the track, as sinkholes are present in the karst landscape.
The track initially passes some mystical beech forest, with columns rising high from a sparse forest floor. It’s relatively flat going, passing a small pond (doline). The track then weaves through a labyrinth of weathered limestone boulders, their convoluted forms telling the stories of erosion. At the junction with the track to Gorge Creek Lookout, continue straight ahead, and Harwoods Hole is shortly after.
The 176-metre deep hole has no safety barriers. The rocks can be slippery when wet. Take care and get as close as you dare to view the hole’s interior.
Geology
Most of the limestone in this area was formed during the Ordovician geological period, around 140 million years ago and is a feature of this country. Where preferential erosion takes place along pre-existing cracks and fissures, the mildly acidic rainwater and groundwater imperceptibly enlarge the weaknesses. Over aeons, holes such as Harwoods Hole and the associated cave systems are formed. In this case, a stream which used to flow into Gorge Creek used to flow through this system, but has since migrated to a source closer to the headwater, leaving Harwoods Hole as a dry valley and the caves dry too. In karst landscapes, this is known as headwater retreat.
Although it is 176 metres from the track to the hole’s floor, the entire depth of the hole is 357 metres.
The small pond adjacent to the track is a doline. This depression is filled with water, which will slowly enlarge and may give rise to a cave system. Plant metabolisms produce carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by the water to form a weak carbonic acid. Because the marble and limestone are alkali, they are readily dissolved by the weak acid.
European History
New Zealand cavers have been exploring this area since the 1950s. On the 4th January 1960, caver Peter Lambert, successfully winched into Harwoods Hole and released dye into the water. Meanwhile, other members of the party also discovered the cave system exiting at Gorge Creek and observed the dye, thus concluding the systems were interlinked.
Many cavers have since explored the depths. Some with outcomes ending in disaster. A rescue here is not for part-timers. The most noteworthy in 1995 was dubbed ‘Operation Long Drop’, where a doctor waited 10 hours with a patient, all the while administering morphine.
Lord of the Rings location in the area include Chetwood Forest (an Unexpected Journey). At Canaan Downs on the access road, the Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug locations include Anduin grasslands and Beorn’s House.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC Nelson/TasmanCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Nearby
Reviews
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2.5/5
Looked like a walk with a great view - the road to the starting point can not be accessed by campervan though....
So had to turn...
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5.0/5
45 minute walk through an ancient forest (after a 10km windy, gravel track) submerging into an epic break in the forest, crazy beautiful scenery, valleys, birds, tree tops.
Well worth the extra drive/walk.
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3.5/5
The drive to the Harwoods Hole parking area was the best of all.
Very beautiful. The walk to the Hole was nice as well. The Hole itself is not really impressive.
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4.5/5
Very nice walk through the forest.
All the landscape around this place is so beautiful. The drive to the carpark is so beautiful and highly recommended. The Hole is not so impressive if you do not climb down.
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5.0/5
Harwoods Hole walk was one to remember.
The old woods with their spooky feel, all very beautiful. We did not make it to the Hole itself, but the viewpoint was incredible. Well worth the drive down the long gravel track, do not drive too fast.
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3.5/5
Shorter than what was expected, really nice walk through the forests and out near the cave, I only I had brought a longer rope!
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4.0/5
Pleasant varied walk through woods and over rocks.
Impressive surroundings at the Hole. Very nice view from the lookout path.
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4.0/5
Nice walk, liked the climbing over the rocks at the end!!
But a bit afraid of heights. So did not come too close!
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4.0/5
Fine walk, can't look down the Hole but it has a great echo.
The outlook was my favourite though, stunning views. Entrance road was challenging for my 2wd van.
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5.0/5
Easy walk through a beautiful forest, leading to the impressive sink hole.
The view of the gorge was spectacular.
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3.0/5
Interesting walk.
Cave is impressive but cannot see too far. Drive is 11km but very beautiful campsite in Canaan Downs with carved wooden pieces.
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2.5/5
Looked like a walk with a great view - the road to the starting point can not be accessed by campervan though....
So had to turn...
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5.0/5
Harwoods Hole walk was one to remember.
The old woods with their spooky feel, all very beautiful. We did not make it to the Hole itself, but the viewpoint was incredible. Well worth the drive down the long gravel track, do not drive too fast.
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5.0/5
45 minute walk through an ancient forest (after a 10km windy, gravel track) submerging into an epic break in the forest, crazy beautiful scenery, valleys, birds, tree tops.
Well worth the extra drive/walk.
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3.5/5
The drive to the Harwoods Hole parking area was the best of all.
Very beautiful. The walk to the Hole was nice as well. The Hole itself is not really impressive.
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4.5/5
Very nice walk through the forest.
All the landscape around this place is so beautiful. The drive to the carpark is so beautiful and highly recommended. The Hole is not so impressive if you do not climb down.
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3.5/5
Shorter than what was expected, really nice walk through the forests and out near the cave, I only I had brought a longer rope!
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4.0/5
Fine walk, can't look down the Hole but it has a great echo.
The outlook was my favourite though, stunning views. Entrance road was challenging for my 2wd van.
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4.0/5
Pleasant varied walk through woods and over rocks.
Impressive surroundings at the Hole. Very nice view from the lookout path.
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4.0/5
Nice walk, liked the climbing over the rocks at the end!!
But a bit afraid of heights. So did not come too close!
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5.0/5
Easy walk through a beautiful forest, leading to the impressive sink hole.
The view of the gorge was spectacular.
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4.5/5
Very gentle and relaxing walk through a Tolkeinesque forest.
The hole itself gave me vertigo and you cannot see the bottom. Nearby lookout is phenomenal.
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4.5/5
Very nice walk to the hole through a beautiful forest, very nice lookout, long road (11km) offroad.
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4.5/5
The 40 minute walk to the Hole is easy and the forest looks amazing.
Also a must for everyone who likes climbing.
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5.0/5
A hole 200m deep in the ground, special place!
The forest that you walk through to get there is also worth mentioning, really cool!
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3.0/5
Interesting walk.
Cave is impressive but cannot see too far. Drive is 11km but very beautiful campsite in Canaan Downs with carved wooden pieces.
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4.5/5
Quiet, gentle walk through rocks and trees and then bush and amazing rock formations.
Just be careful at the carpark - bees and wasps. Quite a lot.
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4.0/5
The road to the Hole is 11km of gravel and holes and bumps, be aware!
The walk to the Hole is easy, however you cannot see in the hole, but still good to see. The lookout along the walk was better than the Hole, you get an amazing view. Just be careful of the rocks!
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4.5/5
175m deep, we have seen it just from the top, from the nice view point on the right side (once coming to the Hole).
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4.5/5
Nice walk to an awesome hole.
Take care: no safety barriers! 10 minutes before you reach the hole a sign says you can go to a viewpoint up the hill. TAKE CARE: we lost the track going there and got stuck in bushes. Just go to the hole and follow the path.
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5.0/5
Nice walk to the hole.
Don't miss the track to the viewing point. On the top you have an amazing view. The car park is also a DOC campsite. ($6 pp).
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5.0/5
Very nice place.
About one hour walk from carpark through nice forest. Excellent view from the rocks.
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5.0/5
It is an easy and short walk through a mystifying forest which scenery I loved!
You end up at the Harwoods Hole which is also nice. Do not miss the other lookout (marked on path).
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5.0/5
Spectacular what the nature can build, a nice walk to the Hole (forest, stones) and very deep hole - surprising view, also a good lookout with stone scenery.
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