# Ellis Basin cave system

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Cave in New Zealand

Ellis Basin cave system Interactive map of Ellis Basin cave system Location Wharepapa / Arthur Range Depth 1,026 metres (3,366 ft) Length 33.4 kilometres (20.8 mi) Discovery 1960s Geology Limestone

The **Ellis Basin cave system** is a group of interconnecting [limestone](/source/Limestone) [caves](/source/Cave) located in the [Mount Arthur](/source/Mount_Arthur_(New_Zealand)) region of the northwest [South Island](/source/South_Island) of New Zealand.

The Ellis Basin cave system was first explored by [cavers](/source/Caver) in the 1960s. In April 2010, the cave system was found to be deeper than the nearby [Nettlebed Cave](/source/Nettlebed_Cave), making it the deepest known cave in the Southern hemisphere.[1] It has been explored to a depth of 1,024 m (3,360 ft), and its 33.4 km (20.8 mi) of cave passages make it New Zealand's second longest.[2]

## See also

- [List of caves in New Zealand](/source/List_of_caves_in_New_Zealand)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Kahurangi National Park: a treasured possession"](https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/editorial/kahurangi-national-park-a-treasured-possession/). *www.aa.co.nz*. Retrieved 13 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Board, Andrew (13 April 2010). ["Historic discovery by NZ cavers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181109234735/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3578642/Historic-discovery-by-NZ-cavers). *Nelson Mail*. Archived from [the original](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3578642/Historic-discovery-by-NZ-cavers) on 9 November 2018.

## External links

- [Caving areas in New Zealand](https://web.archive.org/web/20071016095954/http://caves.org.nz/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NZSS/CavingAreas)

v t e Kahurangi National Park Mountains Mount Arthur Mount Owen Mountain ranges Glasgow Range Wharepapa / Arthur Range Mountain passes Granity Pass Caves Bulmer Cavern Ellis Basin cave system Honeycomb Hill Cave Ōpārara Basin Arches Nettlebed Cave Coastal features Kahurangi Point Scotts Beach Lakes and reservoirs Boulder Lake Lake Sparrow Walking tracks Big Rimu Walk Fenian Track Heaphy Track Old Ghost Road Wangapeka Track Rivers Tasman District Anatoki River Aorere River Baton River Big River Boulder River Brown River Clark River Clarke River Cobb River Dart River Devil River Ellis River Fyfe River Hope River Kaituna River Little Boulder River Little Devil River Little Ōnahau River Little Pokororo River Little Slate River Little Waingaro River Matiri River Ōnahau River Onekaka River Ōtere River Owen River Parapara River Pariwhakaoho River Paturau River Pearse River Pokororo River Puremāhaia River Riuwaka River Rocky River Rolling River Saxon River Sherry River Skeet River Slate River Snow River Spey River Stanley River Tadmor River Tākaka River Te Waikoropupū River Turimawiwi River Waingaro River Wangapeka River Buller District Allen River Beautiful River Crow River Gunner River Heaphy River Hemphill River Huia River Johnson River Kahurangi River Kākāpō River Karamea River Kōhaihai River Leslie River Lewis River Little Crow River Little Wanganui River Mōkihinui River Ōpārara River Basin Postal River Roaring Lion River Taipō River Ugly River both districts Buller River Related articles Geology and geomorphology of Kahurangi National Park Kahurangi Marine Reserve Lake Matiri Matiri Project Nelson Coast temperate forests Opacuincola gretathunbergae Pittosporum dallii Proposals for a road through North-west Nelson Pseudowintera traversii Pūponga Westhaven (Te Tai Tapu) Marine Reserve

v t e Tasman District, New Zealand Seat: Richmond Populated places Golden Bay / Mohua Aorere Bainham Clifton Collingwood East Tākaka Ferntown Ligar Bay Motupipi Onekaka Pākawau Parapara Patons Rock Pōhara Port Pūponga Pūponga Rockville Seaford Tākaka Tarakohe Tata Beach Upper Tākaka Waikato Waitapu Motueka Brooklyn Kaiteriteri Lower Moutere Mārahau Motueka Riwaka Moutere-Waimea Brightwater Bronte Dovedale Mahana Māpua Ngātīmoti Ruby Bay Tasman Upper Moutere Wakefield Woodstock Richmond Aniseed Valley Appleby Hope Richmond Lakes-Murchison Murchison Rotoroa Saint Arnaud Tapawera Tophouse Geographic features Buller River Dun Mountain–Maitai terrane Hope Saddle Lee River Mārahau River Maungakura / Red Hill Newton River Ngārua Caves Roding River Sams Creek Tākaka River Waimea Plains Waimea River Golden Bay / Mohua Appos Creek Archway Islands Cape Farewell Cobb Reservoir Druggans Dam Dry River Farewell Spit Harwoods Hole Lake Killarney Lightband Gully North-west Nelson Forest Park Rawhiti Cave Slateford Tākaka Hill Tata Islands Te Waikoropupū Springs Wainui Bay Whanganui Inlet Wharariki Beach Abel Tasman National Park Armchair Island Awapoto River Awaroa River Ballon Rock Falls River Fisherman Island Motuareronui / Adele Island Simonet Creek Torrent Bay Tata Islands Tinline Bay Tonga Island Torrent River Tōtaranui Wainui River Falls Tasman Bay Bell Island Best Island Moturoa / Rabbit Island Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock Waimea Inlet Kahurangi National Park Brown River Bulmer Cavern Ellis Basin cave system Kahurangi Point Lake Matiri Mount Arthur Mount Burnett Mount Owen Nettlebed Cave Wharepapa / Arthur Range Nelson Lakes National Park Braeburn Range Lake Rotoiti Lake Rotoroa Maniniaro / Angelus Peak Mount Franklin Pourangahau / Mount Robert Rotomairewhenua / Blue Lake Rotopōhueroa / Lake Constance Sabine Valley Saint Arnaud Range Spenser Mountains Facilities and attractions Abel Tasman National Park Coast Track Inland Track Monument Appleby railway station Brightwater railway station Cobb Power Station Ferntown Bridge Gowanbridge railway station Heaphy Track Hope railway station Karamea Aerodrome Kawatiri railway station Langford Store Memorial Park Milnthorpe Model Motueka Aerodrome Moutere Inn Mussel Inn Nelson Lakes National Park Onekaka Ironworks Onekaka Power Station Onekaka Wharf and tramline Proposals for a road through North-west Nelson Pupu Hydro Power Scheme Richmond railway station RNZAF Dip Flat Rutherford memorial Stafford Place St Michael's Church Stoke railway station Tākaka Aerodrome Tākaka Pioneers' Memorial Takaka Tramway Great Taste Trail Tonga Island Marine Reserve Tophouse Tour de Vineyards Wai-iti Dark Sky Park Wangapeka Track Westhaven (Te Tai Tapu) Marine Reserve Wharariki Ecosanctuary Administration Historic Nelson Province (1853–1876) Collingwood County (1877–1956) Waimea County (1877–1989) Richmond Borough (1891–1989 · mayor) Motueka Borough (1900–1989) Takaka County (1904–1956) Murchison County (1909–1965) Golden Bay County (1956–1989) Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council (1989–1992) Current Council Mayor Organisations Golden Bay Air Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union New Zealand Energy Richmond Athletic FC Talley's Group Schools Collingwood Area School Golden Bay High School Motueka High School Waimea College Waimea Intermediate

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ellis Basin cave system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Basin_cave_system) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Basin_cave_system?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.