Greenlink land project
The Project is being driven by members of the Nelson Speleological Group (NSG), the local caving club. The objectives of the Project are:
To protect access to Greenlink Cave entrance; and
To protect and enhance ecologically significant land which is covered by a highly distinctive assemblage of secondary karst vegetation. (Michael North, 2015; on behalf of Tasman District Council.)
The NZSS Cave Conservation and Access Trust took ownership of the Greenlink block on 26 April 2023, using funds raised from about 90 donors. This milestone was celebrated on site on Sunday 25 June. The entire block of land is covered by a Queen Elizabeth II National Trust conservation covenant, which is registered on the title (“the Pikikirunga Greenlink Cave and Karst Covenant”). A rates exemption has been approved by the Tasman District Council.
Purchase celebration - Greenlink Entrance
View from the highest point
The property:
The property is a 21ha block of land which is mostly on a ridge adjacent and to the west of Canaan Road. It includes the Greenlink Cave entrance to the Middle Earth/Greenlink Cave System, which is probably associated with an ancient cave system whose remnants include Ngārua Cave, Kairuru Cave, Hawkes Cave and other fossil caves on the Tākaka Hill. The water in the caves resurges 4km away as the source of the North Branch of the Riuwaka River. The geology is predominantly Silurian/Upper Ordovician Marble, and therefore over 400 million years old.
The Trust has established a management group to oversee the long-term management of the property, including fencing where necessary, creating access tracks, predator and weed control, building a shelter, and replanting native trees.
The flora and fauna have been negatively impacted since the native forest was cleared for rough pasture over 80 years ago. About 20 years ago the previous owner stopped grazing the land and, as a result, the native bush has been steadily regenerating.
Regenerating bush on Greenlink land
The north-east carpark, shelter and long drop are being used by working parties and cavers. A lock-box under the shelter contains a key to the carpark gate.. The code will be made available to NZSS members and others approved by the NSG land management group members.
Several tracks have been cut, including one to Greenlink entrance, one from the shelter to the look-out, and one around the majority of the block including over to the south-west accessway. A small second carpark has been constructed near the south-west boundary gateway, together with a second long-drop.
Our trapline of 21 stoat/rat DOC 200 traps and 14 possum master traps is being monitored monthly and the catches are added to the Takaka Hill Biodiversity Group Trust’s (THBGT’s) part of the TrapNZ database.
We have also successfully registered (via the Nelson-based company, CarbonCrop) 15 ha of our re-growing native bush in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. This means that we will be able to claim carbon credits when we put in an emissions return. These are currently worth about $60 a credit.
Latest News:
In August 2024, we successfully applied to the QEII National Trust’s Stephenson Fund for funding to plant 1,200 native plants and shrubs over the next three years. The total value of this grant is $9,894.60. We have made arrangements with THBGT for them to supply us with 400 plants per year, all eco-sourced from the Takaka Hill.
Our most most recent Pikikirunga Greenlink Cave and Karst Covenant Plan is available through the following link:
The latest map of the land and tracks is in the shelter and available through the following link:
Carpark and gate
Shelter under construction
Toilet
