SOURCE OF THE RIWAKA
14th April 2007
There was a good turnout for the dive with 14 divers meeting in Richmond at the Railway Hotel. After the drive to Riwaka there was a short walk to the dive site, this was amplified by the weight of our gear. John dove down to assess the route only to find there was no guide line for the first cave, however, undeterred the first group led the dive. Descending into the water felt like ice on the face.
The first cave led to a dark tunnel where the light from the flash lights was the only direction which led the second group into some confusion. The second descent was deeper leading to the cavern section where we took off our gear for further exploration.
The cavern had a superb Cathedral as well as fabulous stalactite and stalagmite formations. After a bit of a trek and more exploring we put back on our gear and swam back through the caves. However, this was not the last of the attractions; at the entrance upon ascending the light on the water showed a perfect blue colour and watching the diver in front ascending was a spectacle in itself. Riwaka is an excellent cave dive and a fantastic experience.
Paul Gee
