- Source: Cave Creek / Kotihotiho
/info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek / Kotihotiho (Māori: Kotihotiho) is a small river within Paparoa National Park, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
The /info/creek" target="_blank">creek takes a portion of its name from the limestone /info/cave" target="_blank">cave from which it emerges, flowing through Paparoa National Park's karst landscape for roughly 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) before joining the larger Pororari River. In 1998, the /info/creek" target="_blank">creek was given a dual place name through the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, a landmark Treaty of Waitangi settlement with Ngāi Tahu.
The main source of water for the /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek resurgence is a complex series of caves that are largely fed by water from Bullock /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek. There is a hydraulic gradient from Bullock /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek to the Pororari River leading to significant subterranean flows southwards. The entire flow of Bullock /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek can sink underground at the Taurus Major submergence, close to the end of the Bullock /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek road. The water flows 1.5 km underground to a resurgence in the /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek canyon. The underground flows are an example of river capture. The flow of water underground from Bullock /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek to /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek was demonstrated in 1974 with a fluorescein dye test proving the connection.
/info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek disaster
/info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek / Kotihotiho was the site of the 1995 /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek disaster. On 28 April 1995, 17 Outdoor Recreation students from the Tai Poutini Polytechnic at Greymouth and the Punakaiki Field Centre Manager from the Department of Conservation were on a viewing platform built above a chasm looking down into the /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek resurgence when the platform collapsed. They all fell about 30 metres into the chasm. 14 died and 4 were injured, some seriously. Lack of communications, the remote site, and the rough and difficult landscape hindered rescue efforts. The disaster itself led to a Commission of Inquiry, and then to health and safety reforms in New Zealand and upgrades to Department of Conservation facilities across the country.
The section of track to /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek from the intersection with the Inland Pack Track was renamed the /info/cave" target="_blank">Cave /info/creek" target="_blank">Creek Memorial Track/Kotihotiho in 2020, as part of the 25 year remembrance of the disaster. There is a memorial on the side of the track to those who lost their lives.