Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre

Last updated

The Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre is a museum located in the town of Waitomo in the North Island of New Zealand. The museum is also referred to as the Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre, the Waitomo Museum of Caves and the Waitomo Education Centre. [1]

Contents

Establishment

The museum is run by a charitable trust, and was established in 1973 by the local community. The museum was originally located in two rooms of the historic Waitomo Caves Hotel. [2] During its first five years of operation, the community raised money for a purpose-built location in the Waitomo Caves township and the building was opened on 17 October 1981 by Jim Bolger, MP for the King Country and Minister of Labour.

The land upon which the museum now stands belongs to the Tanetinorau Opataia Whānau Trust, to whom it was returned in 1988. The tupuna, Tane Tinorau, [3] lived on the land known as Taware prior to its being compulsorily acquired under Acts of Parliament.

In 1989, the museum buildings were doubled in size to increase exhibition space and add a 50-seat AV theatre and the new rooms were opened by David Bellamy. An Education Centre was added in 1994 and the museum has been contracted by the Ministry of Education to provide LEOTC (Learning Experience outside the Classroom) programmes since that year. [4]

Collection

Bat skeleton, Waitomo Caves Museum collection (Corin Walker Bain, 2020) Bat skeleton, from a cave deposit in Waitomo, New Zealand.jpg
Bat skeleton, Waitomo Caves Museum collection (Corin Walker Bain, 2020)

The Waitomo Caves Museum has a small, but significant, subfossil palaeofaunal collection (bones of extinct species), owing to the plentiful tomo (the dolines or sinkholes for which Wai-tomo is named) scattered throughout the surrounding karst landscape. It holds fossil remains and speleological specimens from local caves. The museum has a long association with eminent geological and palaeontological experts, such as Paul W. Williams and Trevor Worthy. Specimens from the museum collection are referenced in dozens of books and published journal articles. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Of particular note are the almost complete skeletal remains of the North Island goose or tarepo (Cnemiornis gracilis), [12] the North Island takahē (Porphyrio mantelli) [13] [14] and various small vertebrates, including frogs, skinks, geckos and bats. [15] [16]

In addition to faunal and geological material, the museum holds archival material relating to the history and occupation of the area, the development of adventure tourism and the history of cave exploration in Aotearoa New Zealand. It houses the NZ Speleological Society library, maps and archives from various caving clubs on their behalf.

Related Research Articles

<i>Leiopelma</i> Genus of amphibians

Leiopelma is a genus of New Zealand primitive frogs, belonging to the suborder Archaeobatrachia. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Leiopelmatidae. The leiopelmatids' relatively basal form indicates they have an ancient lineage. While some taxonomists have suggested combining the North American frogs of the genus Ascaphus in the family Ascaphidae with the New Zealand frogs of the genus Leiopelma in the family Leiopelmatidae, the current consensus is that these two groups constitute two separate families. The four extant species of Leiopelmatidae are only found in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitomo</span> Settlement in Waikato, New Zealand

Waitomo is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred in the village to serve visiting tourists.

Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence also occurs in the families Elateridae, Phengodidae and Rhagophthalmidae among beetles; as well as members of the genera Arachnocampa, Keroplatus and Orfelia among keroplatid fungus gnats.

<i>Arachnocampa</i> Genus of flies

Arachnocampa is a genus of nine fungus gnat species which have a bioluminescent larval stage, akin to the larval stage of glowworm beetles. The species of Arachnocampa are endemic to Australia and New Zealand, dwelling in caves and grottos, or sheltered places in forests.

<i>Arachnocampa luminosa</i> Species of fly

Arachnocampa luminosa, commonly known as New Zealand glowworm or simply glowworm, is a species of fungus gnat endemic to New Zealand. The larval stage and the imago produce a blue-green bioluminescence. The species is known to dwell in caves and on sheltered banks in native bush where humidity is high. Its Māori name is titiwai, meaning "projected over water".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitomo Glowworm Caves</span>

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand. It is known for its population of Arachnocampa luminosa, a glowworm species found exclusively in New Zealand. This cave is part of the waitomo streamway system that includes the Ruakuri Cave, Lucky Strike, and Tumutumu Cave.

<i>Macropathus</i> Genus of orthopteran insects

Macropathus is a genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Isoplectron</i> Genus of orthopteran insects

Isoplectron is a genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae with three species currently recognized. The genus is endemic to New Zealand and distributed throughout the country.

<i>Novoplectron</i> Genus of orthopteran insects

Novoplectron is a monotypic genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to offshore islands of New Zealand. Cave wētā are nocturnal, lack wings, and prefer to occupy humid habitats. Novoplectron wētā generally live under stones and in burrows of seabirds, such as broad-billed prions, mutton birds and storm petrels.

Trevor Henry Worthy is an Australia-based paleozoologist from New Zealand, known for his research on moa and other extinct vertebrates.

Leiopelma auroraensis, known as the Aurora frog, is an extinct species of frog that was found in New Zealand. One subfossil of the Aurora frog has been discovered in the Aurora Cave, Fiordland, New Zealand. It measured about 60 mm from the snout to the vent. It is named after the Aurora Cave for where it was found. The other extinct New Zealand frogs are Markham's frog and Waitomo frog. Aurora frog probably was a local form that had evolved from the more widely distributed Markham's frog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markham's frog</span> Extinct species of amphibian

Markham's frog is one of three extinct New Zealand frog species, the others being the Aurora frog and Waitomo frog. Subfossil bones used to describe the species were discovered at Honeycomb Hill Cave, South Island, New Zealand, but it once occurred on both South and North Islands. It is estimated that it grew between 50 and 60 mm from snout to vent and it appears to have been a very robust animal.

The Waitomo frog is an extinct species of the genus Leiopelma from New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whenua Hou diving petrel</span> Subspecies of bird

The Whenua Hou diving-petrel is a highly endangered subspecies of the South Georgia diving petrel that is endemic to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratigraphy of New Zealand</span>

This is a list of the units into which the rock succession of New Zealand is formally divided. As new geological relationships have been discovered new names have been proposed and others are made obsolete. Not all these changes have been universally adopted. This table is based on the 2014 New Zealand Stratigraphic Lexicon (Litho2014). However, obsolete names that are still in use and names postdating the lexicon are included if it aids in understanding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murchison Mountains</span> Mountains in Fiordland National Park in New Zealand

The Murchison Mountains are a group of mountains in Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. It is the location where the South Island takahē, a type of bird presumed extinct, was rediscovered in 1948. The highest mountain is Mount Lyall at 1,892 metres (6,207 ft).

Victor Wilhelm Lindauer (1888–1964) was a New Zealand phycologist, collector and teacher.

<i>Asaphodes periphaea</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes periphaea is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has only been collected in the mountains near Lake Wakatipu in the South Island. The male is fuscous coloured sprinkled with whitish colouration. The female is brachypterous. The preferred habitat of this species are alpine bluffs as well as mountainous open country. This species is on the wing from January to March.

<i>Forsteropsalis photophaga</i> Species of long-legged harvestman in the family Neopilionidae

Forsteropsalis photophaga, also known as the glow-worm hunter, is a species of long-legged harvestman in the family Neopilionidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand, found in North Island caves in the vicinity of Waitomo. The name "photophaga" comes from their habit of feeding on the luminescent larvae, pupae, and adults of the New Zealand glow-worm Arachnocampa luminosa.

References

  1. ↑ "Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre on NZ Museums". eHive. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Troglobites and squeezes". New Zealand Geographic. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Tāne Tinorau". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "ACKMA Australasian Cave & Karst Management Association Inc". www.ackma.org. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  5. ↑ H., Worthy, T. (1983). Moa and other subfossils : a glimpse of the prehistoric New Zealand fauna. Waitomo Caves Museum Society. ISBN   0-908683-00-6. OCLC   154219305.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Worthy, T. H. (1984). "Faunal and floral remains from Fl, a cave near Waitomo". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 14 (4): 367–377. doi: 10.1080/03036758.1984.10421737 . ISSN   0303-6758.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ↑ Worthy, T. H. (1987). "Osteological observations on the larger species of the skink Cyclodina and the subfossil occurrence of these and the gecko Hoplodactylus duvaucelii in the North Island, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 219–229. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422992. ISSN   0301-4223.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ↑ Gill, BJ (2001). "Size and scope of the bird collections of New Zealand museums" (PDF). Notornis. 48: 108–110.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ↑ Worthy, Trevor H.; Swabey, Stephen E.J. (2001). "Avifaunal changes revealed in Quaternary deposits near Waitomo Caves, North Island, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 32 (2): 293–325. doi:10.1080/03014223.2002.9517696. ISSN   0303-6758. S2CID   129444130.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ↑ Broadley, R. A. (2012). "Notes on pupal behaviour, eclosion, mate attraction, copulation and predation of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Skuse) (Diptera: Keroplatidae), at Waitomo". New Zealand Entomologist. 35 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1080/00779962.2012.649689. ISSN   0077-9962. S2CID   86160354.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  11. ↑ von Byern, Janek; Chandler, Peter; Merritt, David; Adlassnig, Wolfram; Stringer, Ian; Meyer-Rochow, Victor Benno; Kovalev, Alexander; Dorrer, Victoria; Dimartino, Simone; Marchetti-Deschmann, Martina; Gorb, Stanislav (2019). "Biomechanical properties of fishing lines of the glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Diptera; Keroplatidae)". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 3082. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9.3082V. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39098-1. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   6395680 . PMID   30816149.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  12. ↑ "North Island goose | New Zealand Birds Online". www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "North Island takahe | New Zealand Birds Online". nzbirdsonline.org.nz. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  14. ↑ "North Island Takahe, Porphyrio mantelli.; 11653 on NZ Museums". eHive. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  15. ↑ Worthy, Trevor H. (1987). "Palaeoecological information concerning members of the frog genus Leiopelma : Leiopelmatidae in New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 17 (4): 409–420. doi: 10.1080/03036758.1987.10426482 . ISSN   0303-6758.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  16. ↑ Scarsbrook, Lachie (2021). Does Size Matter? Using Osteology and Ancient DNA to Reconstruct Extinct Diversity in Duvaucel's Gecko (Thesis thesis). University of Otago.

38°15′39″S175°06′33″E / 38.2609°S 175.1092°E / -38.2609; 175.1092

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.