Caves: Exploring New Zealand's Subterranean Wilderness

About this book

New Zealanders as a collective share a deep connection with the outdoors. Our rivers, forests, and mountains are part of our national identity but our caves are less well-known and often misunderstood. Though nearly every corner of the country has been explored and mapped, exploration beneath our land is still in its infancy. This book takes readers on a journey into New Zealand's longest and deepest caves, through one of the world's most dangerous cave dives, and prospecting for a totally new kind of cave on a South Island glacier.

In Caves: Exploring New Zealand's Subterranean Wilderness, Marcus and Neil share their passion for caving with well-researched narrative and dramatic photos – it's as close as you'll get to real caving without getting your socks wet. Caves are places of mystery where few people dare to venture. They are also a valuable resource both for science and recreation and we hope that by sharing our knowledge, and experience in New Zealand's caves we may inspire others to enjoy and protect them. This book is the first of its kind for New Zealand and no effort has been spared in its making. It is for both cavers and non-cavers alike, to inspire, and showcase the true beauty of caves and the mettle of those who explore them.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Marcus Thomas is a full-time graphic designer, as well as writer and photographer based in Wellington. He has spent a lifetime exploring New Zealand's underworld and been at the forefront of exploration in the longest cave system, Bulmer Cavern. When not adventuring, Marcus spends his time bringing up a family and encouraging them to explore in the outdoors.

Neil Silverwood hails from the West Coast and is a professional photographer specialising in photography of places many would consider too difficult or dangerous. Assignments have been as varied as capturing New Zealand's wildest canyons to skiing in war-torn Afghanistan. Neil regularly shoots for a range of magazines both within New Zealand and around the world including regular contributions to New Zealand Geographic. This project to photograph the diversity of New Zealand's cave systems is his most difficult to date.