New Zealand

Deep cave system uncovered

08:56 am on 2 February 2014

A group of New Zealand cavers has finally uncovered the deepest cave system in the Southern Hemisphere, underneath the Kahurangi National Park, at the top of the South Island.

The cavers have worked their way through rubble to find a link between the Stormy Pot and Nettlebed systems underneath the Mt Arthur range.

Expedition leader Kieran McKay told Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon programme the entire system is about 36 kilometres long and about 1200 metres underground.

He said it was a huge achievement for the hundreds of people who've worked on the project for three years.

Mr Mckay says it took two hours of digging to complete the 150 metre link between the caves.

Listen to Kieran McKay on Nine to Noon