The structure of Absolute Adventure Ltd has changed significantly.

Absolute Adventure will continue to run the well received caving
trips the Mission, Expedition, Journey and the Ultimate Adventure.

All the outdoor education activities will now be run by the Sir
Edmund Hilary Outdoor Pursuits Centre of NZ.

Waipuna is a 4 kilometre long cave system with a beautiful and very accessible streamway which can be followed for nearly 3 kilometres from where the water enters the cave at PP cave to where it exits the cave under the Waipuna bluffs at the sound beacon. The cave can also be accessed about half way along its length by climbing or abseiling down the main Waipuna entrance tomo. Waipuna is  beautiful, it is full of incredible crystal formations and even though it has mainly big passages there are some small bits, deep pools, waterfalls, crawls, a swim, a duck under a rock ledge and lots of wildlife. Downstream from the main entrance tomo is wet, upstream is much drier.

• Upstream ideal for yr 8 and 9. Scramble down steep entrance slope into a streamway full of crystal formations, glow worms and other cave creatures.  Can be used to teach cave navigation, geology and cave biology.
• Downstream this is a wet trip. Involves a scramble down the steep Waipuna entrance tomo then wade and walk downstream under awesome formations, through deep pools and over rocks. The crux of the trip is an exciting duck under a rock ledge and a short swim. To get out the entrance is a short abseil then a 40 minute walk back to the base through the bush along a track. This trip is ideal for tough year 10 or 11s or yr 12/13 leadership groups
• Waipuna Entrance Abseil. This 30 metre abseil into the main Waipuna Entrance makes a great addition to the upstream or downstream Waipuna trips.
• Waipuna Bluffs Abseil and in sound beacon. The Waipuna Bluffs is a very impressive 90 metre drop down a limestone cliff. This can either be abseiled or students can be lowered depending on age and experience. At the bottom of the abseil there is a short walk which involves and scramble up through some trees and a second short abseil into the downstream entrance Waipuna which is called the sound beacon. To get back through the cave from this point involves a wiggle through a pile of rocks followed by wading and scrambling upstream, through a swim, a short and exciting duck under a rock ledge then more scrambling, wading and climbing upstream to the first exit point, the main Waipuna tomo or there is another kilometre of walking upstream, some crawling and a final wiggle to get out of what is called PP cave, where the water enters the system. From PP cave a 30 minute bush walk along a limestone ridge back to the base. This is ideal for a strong yr 10 group or yr 12 or 13 outdoor ed groups learning about outdoor skills and leadership.    

Luckie strike is a very exciting and also beautiful cave. There are waterfalls, climbs, abseils stunning arrays of crystal formations, squeezes, crawls and huge chambers. It is definitely a cave of exciting contrasts which makes people work hard.

• Classic mission and expedition. These trips involve abseils and climbs that take people deep into the luckie strike system. The expedition is one of the hardest and most challenging cave trips in NZ.
• Luckie Streamway. This is a traverse of the mainstream of luckie. From the entrance the water is followed, jumping and sliding down waterfalls, through winding streamway, through crawls and huge chambers. The route then goes under a huge pile of rocks and returns back upstream, up the waterfalls and back to daylight.
• Big Streamway trip. Lots of climbing, deep pools, dry passages, some abseils, lots of narrow passages. This is a real cavers’ type of caving trip which goes a long way from the entrance into some very remote underground country.

Mudball is a perfect cave as an introduction to the underground. The cave has very little formation, lots of little passages and streamway to explore and mud.

These caves involve numerous multi pitch abseils with some of them very big, water, long trips and multiple levels.

• Milars Waterfall cave is a superb cave for people learning to cave. The classic Wriggly Passage to carbull pot through trip involves several pitches a very unique narrow winding canyon large streamway and well decorated high level passages. The route finding is a challenge and the rigging is fun.
• Gardners Gut is the longest cave in the North Island and offers 11 kilometres of easily accessible passages. Generally a horizontal cave with short pitches between levels. Good multi level route find problems and numerous entrances offer possibilities for different through trip combinations. Ideal cave for caving courses
• Fred Cave is a large cave with very deep entrance shafts. The entrances are over 60 in depth and they give access to a wonderful cave with small a big streamway, huge passages, wet passages, dry passages and some of the best formation in the area. Great for SRT courses and overnight trips.
• Mangawhitikau cave is a great river cave. Accessed down a wet pitch the route to the river is through a series of narrow rifts. Once in the main river there are several kilometres of waterfalls, deep pools and rapids that can be negotiated. 

Take on all the challenges of Luckie and explore well over 1 kilometre from the entrance to a camping area in sandy floored chamber. From here depending on time there is an option to do more caving downstream climbing waterfalls, wading through deep pools and abseiling before returning to the camp to sleep for the night and return to daylight the next day.

This is a small crag about 15 metres high at the Waitomo outdoor education centre. The crag is still being developed and has several climbs that have bolt anchors which are perfect for school groups of any age or people learning to climb

The Waipuna Bluffs is an awesome 90 metre high limestone cliff on top of which is great views of the King Country, Waitomo and Waikato. On a good day the mountains of the central plateau can be seen to the south. Down this cliff is an excellent abseil over a huge overhang which puts the abseilers out into space over the top of beautiful native bush with kereru, hawks, tui and the odd falcon flying about. At the bottom of the cliff under the overhang is one of the best campsites in the region. It faces east so gets the sunrise and only 100 metres away is a waterfall which can be used as an early morning shower or water source

This 55 metre high waterfall offers a very scenic spot for abseiling. Can only be used in low flows the abseil is down a series of ledges beside the fall of water until about ½ way down where there is no escaping the falling torrent. You swing in behind the water for a bit before dropping into a 4 metre deep pool at the bottom. Best done in the afternoon when the sun is shining on the falls. This is a fantastic place for photos and it s a very exciting spot.

This crag is right on the doorstep of outdoor centre. In fact school staff can stand or sit in the shade or shelter of the centre and watch the abseiling action. The crag is about 20 metres high with easy access to the top and bottom and offers a great opportunity to learn the abseil techniques in a non threatening environment.

Waipuna Entrance

The Waipuna entrance is a 20 metre abseil into a large tomo. This can be used to access the Waipuna cave or used just as an abseil site. Access from the bottom of the abseil back to the top is via a very steep slippery track.

The Tawarau is a very scenic river that flows through native bush and farmland about 30 minutes drive west of the Waitomo Caves outdoor ed centre. It can be done in high flows by getting on to the Managahoe at the end of Were road. Even this involves several portages around rock and tree sieves the adventure is great and the scenery superb, there are even great rapids to run. Once the confluence with the main Tawarau is met the river over doubles in volume and you have to weave in and out of boulders. Some small drops are negotiated before a long slow float between high tawas, rimus and matais. A short boney rapid snaps you out of a dreamy state and shortly after is the beginning of all the major grade three and four rapids. The first gorge has some long bouncy chutes, then there is double drop, a nice exciting grade 4 some more boulder rapids for a bit. The farmland appears and not long after is the first waterfall, then the second waterfall both of which are great fun to run. The final 1 km is continuous grade 2 and 3 between huge boulders before the river flattens right out at which heralds the end of the run.

• Single tube. Walk in from the end of the run. Walk takes about an hour to an hour and a half and gets right up through the farmland and into the bush. The run starts at an old slip just upstream of the first gorge. At medium flows the run is great fun and fast.
• Single tube. Walk in to the Tawarau junction. About a 40 minute walk across farmland and then about 3 to 4 hours on the river negotiating the full length of the Tawarau run. Great at medium flows
• Tube raft. This is from the Tawarau junction. Good in medium to high flows
• Two person raft or sit on top from the Tawarau junction. At any flow except very low summer flows this is a great fun way to see the river
• The complex nature of the river and the numerous hazards provide an excellent opportunity to learn about managing people in water and rescuing people.

The Marokopa has no major rapids. The biggest in the first section is only about grade 1- 2. The river can be followed for over 22 kms from Te Anga where the Tawarau joins it all the way to the west coast at Marokopa.

• The upper part of the river is perfect for a family canoe adventure, especially a young family. Learn how to use the canoe. Shoot some small rapids and paddle through some nice scenery and finish the day with a BBQ at a small local pub.
• As a route on a journey the river provides an excellent way to get from Te Anga to the coast. Long hard paddle, but worth the effort as you round the final bend and there is the sea! Usually the final day of the AA 5 day caves to coast journey.

This river begins as a grade 3 to 4 white water river where sections can be canoed, rafted or kayaked with the harder sections easily portaged. Lower down there is an excellent paddle through bush lined gorges which offer excellent opportunities for journeys or just multi day canoe trips

Ideal for
White water kayak courses
Rafting
Sit on top trips

The mangaotaki is a long grade 2 run through limestone country with a lower section which is a short grade 3 to 4 ending up in the mokau. This upper section would be good to include in a journey route. For people learning to Kayak the upper section is perfect in higher flows while the lower section ideal for those with more advanced skills.

The concept of the journey is to travel from one point to another under your own steam. The longer the journey the better but since there are big constraints on time and money we offer a variety of length journeys from 2 ½ days up to 21 days. On the journeys we try and make the route as multi disciplined as possible as well as giving the participants opportunities to learn about their team and leadership. The journeys do extend people, they are hard. The participants have to travel and navigate from food dump to food dump, they have to set up camp, cook their own meals and look after themselves well. The journeys may include canadian canoeing, navigating through untracked bush, setting up camps, lighting fires, cooking meals, abseiling, caving, gorging, rafting, tubing and rock climbing.

• 2 nights out. We would always recommend this as a minimum to get the most of the experience and to be able to get somewhere. Anyone can survive one night. By the second night groups are beginning to cook for themselves, put up their own tents and get themselves up in the morning.
• 4 nights out. This really gives groups the opportunity to work together and start making mistakes and learning from consequences of those mistakes. Over this longer period teams are able to traverse caves, abseil, bash through untracked bush, build rafts and raft down a grade 3 to 4 river and Canadian canoe down a river to finish on the west coast.
• More than 4 nights. To be able to travel big distances teams need to spend a long time out.

These camps are more focused on having fun and having an outdoor experience and based on a series of activities. These activities could include Rock Climbing, Caving, Bush craft, flying fox, overnight camp, cooking meals, 
2 days
3 days
5 days

Come and study at the Waitomo Caves Outdoor Centre. By combining teaching elements of the education service at the discovery centre in the Waitomo Village and the outdoor environment at the outdoor centre students get a true Outdoor Education Experience where the time away from school can be justified in terms of quality learning. The quiet nature of the centre lends itself to learning and studying in a different environment away from home, school and any other outside distraction. Also an opportunity to give students an opportunity to see how the theory learned can be applied in the field which will give the students chances to solidify learning by giving it a reason. (I do....I understand)

• The environment in which the Waitomo Caves outdoor centre is located is perfect for geography students studying limestone and limestone processes or tourism and impacts of tourism on the environment.
• Biology students studying flora and fauna. The glow worms and other cave dwellers contrasted with the animals that live outside. Observe how the flora changes in different environments.
• Chemistry students studying the carbonate and ph processes in the limestone. This can be followed from the collection in the environment to titrating in the lab. Changes in water quality can be observed from the headwaters of the Waitomo stream to the village.
•  For English students, a perfect quiet place to read and write
• Physics students can look at anchors and angles of ropes in anchors and create high lines and abseil systems and then use them
• PE students can learn about leadership and get assessed on unit standards to go towards NCEA credits