Bulmer Cavern

{{Short description|Cave in New Zealand}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

Image:Bulmer Cave.jpg

Image:Bulmer Cavern main entrance - descending first pitch.jpg

Bulmer Cavern is New Zealand's longest cave system, running for {{convert|74.3|km|sp=us|abbr=on|1}}{{Cite web |title=Cave statistics |url=http://caves.org.nz/cave-statistics/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116200347/http://caves.org.nz/cave-statistics/ |archive-date=16 January 2024 |access-date=16 January 2024 |website=New Zealand Speleological Society}} through Mount Owen in the Tasman region of the northwest South Island.[http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/BushAndMountainRecreation/Caving/3/en Caving in New Zealand] (from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand) John Patterson discovered the cave on New Year's Day 1984, by dropping a rock down and counting the seconds until it reached the bottom.

Bulmer Cavern was the location of a major cave rescue effort in 1998, when it took 80 cavers several days to extract another caver who had fallen and broken his jaw deep in the cavern.[http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/BushAndMountainRecreation/Caving/4/en Caving equipment and culture] from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand)