New Zealand new cave depth record

[footleg]

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kiwi-cavers-break-caving-depth-record-3429619

Some dubious claims in the article (regarding deepest cave in the world positioning*), but sounds like a record for New Zealand cave depth all the same.

*(Passed 1000 metre mark, now 10th deepest in the world, hoping to connect in another higher entrance to add 400 metres more).
I suspect journalist hearing exciting statistics puts 2 and 2 together to make 5.

 

[footleg]

A google search brought up this link on our own forum: http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,9619.0.html  :-[

I did try searching for posts about this using the search word 'zealand' on the ukCaving search box before starting a new topic, but it only gave me 5 hits (all from a few years ago). I've just tried that search again, and got zero hits, followed by 2 pages of hits when a hit the search button again on the 'no results' page! Something very odd about the forum search engine!

 

[Cookie]

You are starting from "Home"?

The search only searches down from where you are currently in the tree.

 

[footleg]

Now that is something I did not know, but does explain why my initial searches were different.

Still not clear why a search entered on the search results page gives different results on two consecutive searches for the same keyword though.

 

[ian mckenzie]

Nettlebed Cave in NZ was formerly the deepest in the south hemisphere at -889m.  Fabulous cave, world class stuff - that must be the one.  Kiernan is the real deal, so the report likely has some merit.

 

[ian mckenzie]

Contacted Snablet in NZ who confirms the gist of the report - connection, over 1000m deep.  Apparently it's not Nettlebed, but the Ellis Basin System, almst as deep and longer than Nettlebed.  S is just out the door to Vietnam so no more details than that.

 

[Pipster]

Lots of info here:
http://nsg.org.nz/images/ellis/ellis/index.htm
8)

 

[footleg]

Lots of info here:
http://nsg.org.nz/images/ellis/ellis/index.htm
8)

Yes, I read that the other day. But the last entry on there states 'They have paved the way for the 1000m connection - it's never been closer!!'

The news article at the top of this thread implies further developments post expedition, but so far I've not found anything that gives a depth figure for the connected system.

 

[pete_the_caver]

Lots of info here:
http://nsg.org.nz/images/ellis/ellis/index.htm
8)

This website is for a slightly different group but still led by Kieran McKay.  I assume they have linked EK3010 to the Ellis system via Tomo Thyme.  The next thing they should do is revisit Twin Traverse Tomo a cave a few hundred metres higher and already 400m deep but with winter moving in I think that will have to wait till the southern spring/summer

I'll try an email Kieran to see if I can obtain any more info