Open/Close Toolbox
Copyright is retained by the photographer and/or contributor. Please do not reuse without permission.
Format: Photograph
Linked To
Location (city or town)
Copyright
Copyright is retained by the photographer and/or contributor. Please do not reuse without permission.
Menu
Cobden cave.2016.
Expand/collapse
About this image
DescriptionIan Selwood.." Purportedly during WW2 the army blew up the interior due to local fears that the Japanese might manage to connect caves at Pt Elizabeth (Te Ana Puta cave) with Cobden Cave.. I've been through Te Ana Puta on several occasions but saw no deep penetrating pathways.. Unless there is more below sea level... can only get further in Cobden Cave main streamway at low tide so small window of opportunity.. There is another branch in upper left-hand side I want to investigate at some time, but will need rope and jumars to get back out!!"
Leslie McKendry.." Doubt you will find a practical link. Back in the 1970's a group of us (Greymouth Caving Group as was) had a fair nosey about the Caves but the bedding plane of the 12 Apostles is such that it is unlikely they wouldlink from 7 mile to Grey river in any way that you could tranist without breathing gear and a very good sense of direction."Date of Photo2016Map[1] ContributorColin Waterman
Leslie McKendry.." Doubt you will find a practical link. Back in the 1970's a group of us (Greymouth Caving Group as was) had a fair nosey about the Caves but the bedding plane of the 12 Apostles is such that it is unlikely they wouldlink from 7 mile to Grey river in any way that you could tranist without breathing gear and a very good sense of direction."Date of Photo2016Map[1] ContributorColin Waterman
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)Cobden Landmark (Place)Cobden caves
From Facebook
CommentsJoy Baker I'd love to learn more about these caves too.
Baybgee Tengu I'm sure it comes out at Elizabeth point? Blackwater rafting? Not 100% sure on that one?
Joy Baker There have been lots of regular myths and legends but nothing would surprise me with caves. It would be great to have had some stories about it's presence and how it was used in the past. Surely with the Pa site across the river, early Maori must have used it?
Colin Waterman That's what I was wondering. I guess long ago the river was higher and flowed into and formed it. How deep does it go. If you go in and look up its all quite interesting. Looks like some one has been having a good dig around in the bottom too.
Ian Selwood Purportedly during WW2 the army blew up the interior due to local fears that the Japanese might manage to connect caves at Pt Elizabeth (Te Ana Puta cave) with Cobden Cave.. Unfounded as far as I know.. I've been through Te Ana Puta on several occassions but saw no deep penetrating pathways.. Unless there is more below sea level... can only get further in Cobden Cave main streamway at low tide so small window of opportunity.. There is another branch in upper left-hand side I want to investigate at some time, but will need rope and jumars to get back out!!i
Zody Mark Tahi The myth was that it went under the river to connect the Cobden side to Greymouth, and the Maori used it when invading war parties came down from the north. I find it hard believe a cave system void of water could penetrate under a flowing river of that volume.
Marilyn Smithem I understand when new railway bridge was built a few years ago a cave was discovered at approx last pier on Cobden side. Perhaps some one who worked on drilling rig then would have some knowledge. Local Maori may also have some knowledge as
Marilyn Smithem I have heard tales of them using it.
Baybgee Tengu Maria Tengu do you know the story to this cave by cobden bridge? I remember you or the old told me a story but too young can't remember.
Paul Thomas In 1959, while walking up the Pt. Elizabeth track from Cobden road, I saw a small 'bomb'. I placed a rusted flat steel marker on a wind wept shrub. The Grey Star reported on police and Army investigation that it was a smoke bomb from WWII time.
Martin Burt Urban myth......
Bruce Dando tainui cave
Wayne Leckie Used to wag school in there lol
Pauline Walsh Course u did
Simon Ashby Not sure been in there 100 of ttime never found any but mud and cold river mouth water there many of those on the other side there one block and there one on the left side of the going towards Greymouth
Mike Roberts Always had a wander a little way in, never too far as was always too chicken! Heard it went right through but had no idea if that was true or legend myth :-)
Lynne Brown The guys used to leave their whitebait nets in there instead of lugging them home. Never any stolen, couldn't do that that today, how the times have changed!!!!!
Heather Newby same with bikes.. i never had a bike lock when I was growing up in Greymouth... now I lock my bike up every time .
Heather Newby It was always called Tainui Cave when I was a kid.. we were told that Chief Tainui`s bones were buried in the cave.
Heather Newby Do you remember that ? Leslie McKendry
Leslie McKendry Heather Newby Yes, I beleive the Chiefs remains had been interred there, but were removed and re-interred in a Tapu (sacred) site at a later time. I think there may have been burials caves on the southern side as well and again remains removed and re-interred elsewhere as well.
The southern side was subsequently quarried significantly to its present shape.
Heather Newby Leslie McKendry thanks... its very interesting,, i read the geological history of the West Coast and the river actually went out to Rapahoe.. then at some time in the ancient past it exited at Greymouth.. Apparently ,, from Greymouth to Rapahoe is riddled with limestone caves.
Leslie McKendry Heather Newby Yes, the area of Omoto Rd where I grew up was uderwater as that Omoto, Kaita Dobson area would have been a massive lake.
Liz Hay
Robin Coe
While whitebaiting few years back, I found a stelitight?, just below the bridge Cobden side. Only conclusion was it come from a cave close by.
Reply8h
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Robin Coe stalactite?
Reply7h
Robin Coe
Heather Newby 5ha5s it, lmao
Reply5h
Bruce Tones
A lot of rumours around about that cave, and none are true,
Bruce Dando
Bruce Tones been few hundred ft into it in the 60s.kids having fun.tainui cave is on the greymouth side of bridge. Lake Brunner has a underground river that runs into the sea at 7 mile and about two miles out to see.
Bruce Tones
Bruce Dando don't know where you got that information, Bruce?
Bruce Dando
Bruce Tones school.
Bruce Tones
Bruce Dando and where did they get the information from, Bruce. And I was told a lot a stuff at school, that turned out lies and crap,
Bruce Dando
Blaketown school.years ago 70s flying around and off 7 mile the sea would boil up over a large area.seen it few times over a few years and the water was tested and was out of lake Brunner.
Heather Newby
Bruce Dando interesting
Stephen Lucas
I always new this as tainui cave
Paul Thomas
The bedding plane of the Cobden Limestone at Mawhera is 28ยบ. The subtlity of this is most noticeable at the relatively regular tension cracks from Tasman Sea wave attack at the no exit end of North Beach some 200m ~500m north of the carpark - allow low tide only for challenge to view. Or again, at the closed DoC track on account of the Translational Landslide 500m approx. 100 mH a.s.l. towards the Point from the north Beach Carpark. Est. $1m to repair, but is it worthy of consideration and cost benefit for a simple suspension bridge over the Translational Landslide?
Bruce Tones
Paul Thomas ok, so what does that prove ?
Tim Kurth
A mate, put walking with his girlfriend one evening stopped in here and things got a bit heated inside the cave, they were cooled off somewhat when a busload of Japanese tourists arrived with cameras
Baybgee Tengu I'm sure it comes out at Elizabeth point? Blackwater rafting? Not 100% sure on that one?
Joy Baker There have been lots of regular myths and legends but nothing would surprise me with caves. It would be great to have had some stories about it's presence and how it was used in the past. Surely with the Pa site across the river, early Maori must have used it?
Colin Waterman That's what I was wondering. I guess long ago the river was higher and flowed into and formed it. How deep does it go. If you go in and look up its all quite interesting. Looks like some one has been having a good dig around in the bottom too.
Ian Selwood Purportedly during WW2 the army blew up the interior due to local fears that the Japanese might manage to connect caves at Pt Elizabeth (Te Ana Puta cave) with Cobden Cave.. Unfounded as far as I know.. I've been through Te Ana Puta on several occassions but saw no deep penetrating pathways.. Unless there is more below sea level... can only get further in Cobden Cave main streamway at low tide so small window of opportunity.. There is another branch in upper left-hand side I want to investigate at some time, but will need rope and jumars to get back out!!i
Zody Mark Tahi The myth was that it went under the river to connect the Cobden side to Greymouth, and the Maori used it when invading war parties came down from the north. I find it hard believe a cave system void of water could penetrate under a flowing river of that volume.
Marilyn Smithem I understand when new railway bridge was built a few years ago a cave was discovered at approx last pier on Cobden side. Perhaps some one who worked on drilling rig then would have some knowledge. Local Maori may also have some knowledge as
Marilyn Smithem I have heard tales of them using it.
Baybgee Tengu Maria Tengu do you know the story to this cave by cobden bridge? I remember you or the old told me a story but too young can't remember.
Paul Thomas In 1959, while walking up the Pt. Elizabeth track from Cobden road, I saw a small 'bomb'. I placed a rusted flat steel marker on a wind wept shrub. The Grey Star reported on police and Army investigation that it was a smoke bomb from WWII time.
Martin Burt Urban myth......
Bruce Dando tainui cave
Wayne Leckie Used to wag school in there lol
Pauline Walsh Course u did
Simon Ashby Not sure been in there 100 of ttime never found any but mud and cold river mouth water there many of those on the other side there one block and there one on the left side of the going towards Greymouth
Mike Roberts Always had a wander a little way in, never too far as was always too chicken! Heard it went right through but had no idea if that was true or legend myth :-)
Lynne Brown The guys used to leave their whitebait nets in there instead of lugging them home. Never any stolen, couldn't do that that today, how the times have changed!!!!!
Heather Newby same with bikes.. i never had a bike lock when I was growing up in Greymouth... now I lock my bike up every time .
Heather Newby It was always called Tainui Cave when I was a kid.. we were told that Chief Tainui`s bones were buried in the cave.
Heather Newby Do you remember that ? Leslie McKendry
Leslie McKendry Heather Newby Yes, I beleive the Chiefs remains had been interred there, but were removed and re-interred in a Tapu (sacred) site at a later time. I think there may have been burials caves on the southern side as well and again remains removed and re-interred elsewhere as well.
The southern side was subsequently quarried significantly to its present shape.
Heather Newby Leslie McKendry thanks... its very interesting,, i read the geological history of the West Coast and the river actually went out to Rapahoe.. then at some time in the ancient past it exited at Greymouth.. Apparently ,, from Greymouth to Rapahoe is riddled with limestone caves.
Leslie McKendry Heather Newby Yes, the area of Omoto Rd where I grew up was uderwater as that Omoto, Kaita Dobson area would have been a massive lake.
Liz Hay
Robin Coe
While whitebaiting few years back, I found a stelitight?, just below the bridge Cobden side. Only conclusion was it come from a cave close by.
Reply8h
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Robin Coe stalactite?
Reply7h
Robin Coe
Heather Newby 5ha5s it, lmao
Reply5h
Bruce Tones
A lot of rumours around about that cave, and none are true,
Bruce Dando
Bruce Tones been few hundred ft into it in the 60s.kids having fun.tainui cave is on the greymouth side of bridge. Lake Brunner has a underground river that runs into the sea at 7 mile and about two miles out to see.
Bruce Tones
Bruce Dando don't know where you got that information, Bruce?
Bruce Dando
Bruce Tones school.
Bruce Tones
Bruce Dando and where did they get the information from, Bruce. And I was told a lot a stuff at school, that turned out lies and crap,
Bruce Dando
Blaketown school.years ago 70s flying around and off 7 mile the sea would boil up over a large area.seen it few times over a few years and the water was tested and was out of lake Brunner.
Heather Newby
Bruce Dando interesting
Stephen Lucas
I always new this as tainui cave
Paul Thomas
The bedding plane of the Cobden Limestone at Mawhera is 28ยบ. The subtlity of this is most noticeable at the relatively regular tension cracks from Tasman Sea wave attack at the no exit end of North Beach some 200m ~500m north of the carpark - allow low tide only for challenge to view. Or again, at the closed DoC track on account of the Translational Landslide 500m approx. 100 mH a.s.l. towards the Point from the north Beach Carpark. Est. $1m to repair, but is it worthy of consideration and cost benefit for a simple suspension bridge over the Translational Landslide?
Bruce Tones
Paul Thomas ok, so what does that prove ?
Tim Kurth
A mate, put walking with his girlfriend one evening stopped in here and things got a bit heated inside the cave, they were cooled off somewhat when a busload of Japanese tourists arrived with cameras
Editing is temporarily disabled
Cancel Edit
Click on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
West Coast New Zealand History (25th Dec 2023). Cobden cave.2016.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 12th May 2026 02:47, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/15688