The Cover Shot - Wild #191
Learn the backstory of the awesome image that graces Wild #191’s cover
(This piece originally featured in Wild #191, Autumn 2024)
When people think of caving in New Zealand they often think of our most well-known cave, Harwoods Hole, an amazing 180m-deep shaft leading to a spectacular streamway. There are, however, many other equally spectacular, but lesser-known cave systems. This edition’s cover shot is of Ironstone Cave on Tākaka Hill, Golden Bay.
Our knowledge of cave systems is constantly expanding. Ironstone was only discovered in 2009 by hunter Tony Salmon while out goat culling. After exploring a short way in, Tony was stopped by a pool with just a tiny airspace above. He returned with a wetsuit, and swam solo underwater for four metres before resurfacing on the other side. His boldness was rewarded with the discovery of one of the most spectacular streamway caves in NZ.
On a later trip to document Tony’s exploration, the photographer (OK, me) drowned his Canon 5D camera filming the swim, despite it being sealed in a waterproof casing. This shot was the first to be taken on his replacement camera.
You can read the accompanying story in issue 191’s destination piece ‘Underground Inspirations: Caving on NZ’s South Island’, starting on p116.
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