The Pearse Resurgence
In the Northwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand, a massive range of limestone has metamorphosed into hard marble containing the deepest dry cave systems in the Southern Hemisphere. At the base of these cave systems, lies the resurgence of the Pearse River whose crystal clear 7 degree waters erupt from the base of the mountain in the pristine Kahurangi National Park. After six expeditions into the cave starting in 1995, it has been slow to give up its secrets. The map below shows the approximate topography of the cave, but the bottom section remains unclear. The aim of the expedition will be to continue this exploration and to record the first high quality still images of the system. Depending on progress and conditions, it is expected that Dave Apperley, Craig Howell, Rick Stanton and Richard Harris will camp for 7 – 10 days on site. Access to this spectacular wilderness is by helicopter using cargo nets to import all the equipment or on foot through the National Park.
 From Dave Apperley's last solo dive in the system, it sounds like the bottom section might look something like this. We can't wait to find out!
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