Northlands

I traveled across the top of the South Island today. I stopped at Rawhiti Caves and the Pelorus River Suspension Bridge along the way and ended up in Blenheim. The hike up to the cave is very steep and strenuous. It’s worth it when you arrive though because it is huge and loaded with beautiful stalactites. There is a viewing platform that gives you a splendid view of the ceiling and back wall. The cave is very deep, you can’t see the bottom, it just fades into darkness as you look down from the platform.

I also stopped at the Pelorus River Suspension Bridge where you can get nice views of the river where they filmed the “Barrel Scenes” for The Hobbit.


This is the first view you get when finishing the climb up to Rawhiti Cave.


From the viewing platform, you can see thousands of stalactites on the ceiling and back wall. I don’t know how deep it goes, it’s black down there.


Some more of the Stalactites.


A panorama of the entire back of the cave.


This Stalactite near the entrance looks like a giant screw.


Some greenery near the entrance.


Looking back up at the entrance from inside at the viewing platform.


Looking upstream from the Pelorus River Suspension Bridge.


The view from the highway bridge.


A tree fern on the trail to the Suspension Bridge.


A Black Swan on the river that runs behind my campsite in Blenheim.