The Tākaka Hill highway flattens out after Hawkes Lookout. Shortly after the car park and a bit beyond the Ngārua Caves entrance, you will find the Canaan Road and Harwoods Hole entrance. Follow this into the Pikikirunga Range and the inland section of Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay.
The road ends around the intersection of several hiking and biking tracks. One of these is the 45-minute walk to Harwoods Hole, the deepest vertical cave shaft in New Zealand. The track goes through mature beech forest – the forest snail was a bonus find on this trip.
At a junction in the track, head right for the Gorge Creek Lookout, which offers views of the Tākaka Valley. This section traverses sharp limestone rocks, so take care. Unfortunately, on the day of these pictures, it was shrouded in clouds.
The track's left branch takes you near the cave shaft, which is 176 metres deep. Be aware that you can’t get close enough to look into the shaft, and there are no safety rails.
