Cave Diving pioneer Martyn Farr releases incredible footage of undiscovered cave in New Zealand

Published 11 years agoon July 20, 2014

Cave diving pioneer Martyn Farr has discovered a cave half a mile underground, posting incredible footage of the discovery online.

Farr, 63, plunged to the depths of this previously undiscovered cave in New Zealand through a 350-feet-long underwater passage, before emerging into an incredible display of stalactites and stalagmites. He made his way though a three mile-long system of underground tunnels carrying 65lb of equipment to reach the never-before-seen cave.

Martyn, who is from Crickhowell in South Wales, is world renowned as a caver and cave diver. He is responsible for the discovery of miles of cave passage in many countries and is internationally acclaimed for his prolific writing and stunning photography. Caving from the age of ten and discovering new caves by the age of 16, Martyn remains as passionate as ever.

Farr spent around nine hours in total underground and captured the only footage of the extraordinary place, which he called ‘Avalon Hall’ after the mystical island from the legend of Britain’s King Arthur.

“Finding something as special as Avalon Hall is very much every cave explorer’s dream,” said Martyn.

“Being the first to find something special or unique is a quite incredible feeling. I have never lost the passion for this. The name speaks volumes about the beauty and grandeur of the place.”

It is a challenge to find anything new and previously undiscovered in the present age, but underground it is a different story.

“We are constantly finding new stuff,” Martyn said. “Now it’s wide open and we have a system of passages running to over three-miles in length – with many more miles still to come.”

Avalon Hall is the latest find in a system of new caves ultimately draining to the famous Waikoropupu Spring system, near Takaka, located at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

Commonly known as ‘Pupu Springs’ the place is a spiritual centre for New Zealand’s indigenous population of Maoris, whose own legends tell of the healing properties of the water.

However, for cave divers like Martyn who reach places never before reached by another human, the spring can be a potentially deadly place.

“If you are cave diving you only have a limited supply of gas, in this case compressed air,” he said. “Hypothermia in the ten degree temperature is always a concern.

“If you are caving beyond a dive then you really must not get injured because you need to be fully mobile, fit and healthy to kit yourself up and dive out.

“Drowning is the worst that can happen – the world of caves is packed with potential danger for the untrained or inexperienced. We all know this, so we prepare thoroughly and take care.

“My philosophy in this respect is simple – Don’t have the accident.”

Here’s the footage: