Tākaka Hill

Made of marble[2] that has weathered into many strange forms and with numerous sink holes, it is typical karst country.

In July 2020, the name of the pass was officially gazetted as Tākaka Hill Saddle by the New Zealand Geographic Board.

Tākaka Hill is notable for its (now defunct) marble quarry and for many limestone caves and sinkholes, including Ngarua Caves which are open to the public[5] and feature deposits of moa bones.

[6] Harwood's Hole, at one time the deepest cave in New Zealand, is also to be found on Tākaka Hill.

[8] Tākaka Hills statistical area, which includes Rākauroa / Torrent Bay, covers 277.72 km2 (107.23 sq mi)[9] and had an estimated population of 1,350 as of June 2024,[10] with a population density of 4.9 people per km2.

The mouth of The Resurgence, the spring that drains much of the hill through limestone caves and sinkholes