Reviews of Abbey Caves. (Museum) in Whangārei (Northland).

Abbey Caves

215 Reviews

118 Comments

Museum

Tourist attraction

120 Abbey Caves Road, Abbey Caves, Whangārei 0175, New Zealand

Description

Information of Abbey Caves, Museum in Whangārei (Northland)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

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Open hours of Abbey Caves

Reviews of Abbey Caves

J.

Amazing place 3 caves to explore all are partly filled with water. If you want to explore them properly come when there is good weather (no chance of rain and flooding) to get in to them you will climb down a few boulders and then wade about exploring. The floor is slippery and you might end up in the water so best have a waterproof torch!

T.

It's also nice track with a lot of interesting looking rocks. There are 3 holes there, not too hard to get down, not easy to go further. But do read the sign in the beginning to avoid any hazard.

A.

My daughter was keen as to get right in there & explore inside but unfortunately this mama thought It'll be a good idea to visit caves wearing jandals so this is as far as I got. Either way it's a 10/10 for me

P.

Superb walk with some action (walk down the limestone caves) if you dare. Good parking pas the caves signpost. Drive through to ngunguru (cafe and dairy) if you have the time.

J.

A hidden gem! Probably my new favorite place in the area. Greatly undersold in the beauty both above and below ground. Absolutely worth a visit. Cave entrances are a bit steep and slippery, but we were able to negotiate them with two very young kids. We didn't go far, this time, but even just a short way in they're amazing The tracks are quite easy, with options to wander in the bush to check out some of the amazing rock formations.

D.

Absolutely gorgeous walk that starts about 100m up the road from the carpark. Stairs take you down to a well defined path. Caves are great for those more adventurous however a torch is a must.

G.

Great place to go with 6yrs plus kids. Do go with headlights and helmet for safety measures. Great experience

Y.

Abbey Caves is an undeveloped network of three caverns full of glowworms and limestone formations, 6km east of town. Take a torch, strong shoes, a mate for safety and be prepared to get wet. The surrounding reserve is a forest of crazily shaped rock extrusions.

F.

Free entry, not sure we followed the signs right, but we walked past the exit (I think) of the first cave and it looked like I'm there had been rock fall. We walked to middle cave and walked all the way through, tones of glow wormsore than some caves I've been to which advertise glow worms! Climbed out the end, looked like another rock fall, came out in the middle of a time of rocks in a field and not sure where we were so we just walked down a tracked path to the closest cut oath and found ivy cave, walked far down there, much muddier, eventually got too muddy and we turned around 🤷‍♀️ then followed the oath more through the beautiful fields, lots of cool bugs around! Definitely recommend if you like climbing throught caves, definitely be prepared to exert some energy climbing around and slipping about! We were find in sandles but I don't recommend, we were just passing and went to check it out. Also recommend torches, we just used out phoned but definitely not the best. Saw some people on the way out with bouldering gear so we'll definitely be back!

M.

Lots of fun, just have to be careful at times with climbing over rocks to get into cave, but this absolutely add to adventure we were looking for. Watershoes and headlamps a must!!

E.

3 limestone caves are lined to form a loop track that’s about 1.5 kms from the car park. Some steep section. The car park is small & no obvious sign post of it.

김.

it has quiet and tranquil walkways. furthermore there are three beautiful caves, but you should prepare to get wet when you get through caves, and need helmet and headlamps to see the glow warms

G.

Wow a tourist trap with no tourists. Easy caving for the adventurous. (Entrances requires more able bodied bring touches) but there are glow worms by the dozen.

A.

What an amazing place and a great free thing to do. 3 limestone caves filled with glow worms. A fairly easy walking track down, around and back to the car park. Everything is well marked and there are gates and stools built into the walk to help you get over the fences. The landscape contains a lot of huge scattered volcanic rocks and is reminiscent of something you'd see in Lord of the Rings as many places in New Zealand are. The cave areas and rainforest are reminiscent of Dagobah from Star Wars, so the whole time it feels like you are venturing around this idyllic wonderland which was manufactured by none other than mother nature herself. Highly recommended.

C.

Went to the organ cave and it was awesome! Recommend taking a torch and waterproof shoes if you want to venture into the caves. At some points the water is knee deep depending on how far you go. It's very dark and rocks are slippery but the caves are fab and worth a visit! Saw loads of glow worms!

A.

Organ cave is great. Entrance a bit slippery, so you need good shoes. Be ready to get wet, water is knee-deep in some places. You can see glowworms inside. Middle cave is easier to access. If you'll make all the way to the end of the cave you can see the sunlight, looks beautiful. Can find glowworms on the way, not so many as in Organ cave. Ivy cave is the smallest one and easy accessable. I would recommend to visit all the caves in reverse order: Ivy -> Middle -> Organ

J.

These are some really interesting and fun to explore karst formations. The landscape is unique and you feel like you are wanderinf through the lord of the rings, or we other magical landscape. The caves require a pretty serious scramble to get to, not for small children or those with reduced mobility. Please take the risks of entering the caves properly very seriously. Cindering your escape plan, back up lighting and possibly gas monitoring. There's lots of great spots to bring a picnic and escape from it all.

N.

A great place to explore. Get ready to get wet and have a reasonable level of fitness to get yourself in and out of the caves.

M.

We spent the morning walking there. There's 3 caves, first one is Organ, there's a second one in the middle and the third one is Ivy, the best one to go down in my opinion.

F.

The Abbey Caves may not be the most spectacular caves, but they are in a beautiful area. When it's raining old clothes are recommended, because it can be muddy.

A.

Awesome place to walk and explore! We did not go deep into caves because our equipment was not proper but got much more than expected! The landscape with mix of rocks and trees is incredible! Will definitely return there again.

M.

Couldn't get down the first cave as it was too steep without correct equipment but the 2nd and 3rd cave was really good. Went as far as we could. Cold water up to knees (had it rained for a while so suspect it'd get quite deep) definitely need a good torch and good shoes on too, recommend a helmet too.

C.

Looks really cool but I wasn't able to go into the caves because you need a headlamp/flashlight. The caves require some climbing and water crossing and take some time to explore. I talked to a person leaving one of the 3 caves and they were almost waist deep. They said they saw glow worms in the cave!

N.

A very nice walk but definitely for experienced cavers. Not suitable for children. Didn't realise that until we got there. Caves not easily accessible without some precarious climbing.

S.

Very cool to see glow worms in these caves. Don't forget to bring torches, we only had one between four people so it was a slow travel. It was raining so we didn't do the full walk through, only just into the first cave, that was enough though to experience it.

N.

The caves are about a 10 minute walk From The car park down a nice pathway and then through a paddock with lots of cool rocks. There are 3 caves in total with each one offering different challenges. It is highly recommended you have experience and come prepared and tell people where you are. The caves are not for casuals. You can have a look inside the entrance of the second cave with no gear if you be careful on the slippery rocks but just be aware that there's knee high water in there. Also the best part about these caves is that it's completely free and you go at it at your own pace Also give the ponys that are in their paddock next to the pathway a good pat, they like that.

B.

Awesome. I did Organ Cave. Took me ~1h in&out. The deepest water is a few meters after the entrance. Afterwards is some climbing but only (relatively) shallow waters. Don't forget to stop and turn off your lights after the deepest waters for the glowworms. I loved the diversity of rock formations. It's pretty straight forward (not much possibility to take a wrong turn on the way back & get lost)

m.

If you wanna see glow worms for free this is a excellent place to see them. Recommend to go in to the second cave as it's a bit easier access,bring a flash light mobile phone light is bad too use. You don't have to go far in to the cave before you can turn of your light and look up. Amazing!

T.

Visit them! Natural Caves. But never go alone. These caves are all natural and without any safety equipment or something! Prepare to get wet feet and bring a torch. If you are into climbing and exploring for FREE than this is something for you. Had so much fun here.

T.

No footpath to get there so had to walk on the road, ruined it a bit. The rocks and caves were interesting though.

T.

Whangarei's unofficial adventure park? Area in and above the limestone caves are fascinating. Naturally sculptured rocks. You'll need good sturdy shoes and if you don't mind getting your feet wet, a good torch, and possibly a helmet to explore the caves.

P.

Great outdoor activity for free ! Beware when you take the access into the cave (not so easy, especially when wet). A headlamp is necessary (best for the movements). During the visit, feet are in the stream (most of time ankle and sometime belly-I’m 1m60). We stopped in the middle room and it was fantastic: when you turn off the light, the ceiling sparkles thanks to the numerous glowworms. BEWARE at the carpark : our friends have been stolen (smashed windows). According to residents this happens every week so take everything with you (a backpack is OK or you can put everything in a plastic bag) – in NZ, if your credit card is stolen, everybody can pay whit it until 80$ !

J.

Really awesome walk and cave spot..

J.

Absolutely one thing to do. Maybe the best place where see a lot of glows and totally for free. Put shorts and maybe barefoot is the best way to get inside. Don't forget the light and if you find people over there, go inside all together. Alone is gonna be a little scary and probably dangerous.

M.

Expect to get wet shoes and pants. Depending on how tall you are. When it has been raining for a while it might not be possible to get too far in. When I went it hadn't been raining for some time and I got water to my thighs. Ofc bring headlamp. There is a few glow worms in there as well😉

M.

Fantastic caving experience. Free! We went in with a torch, water shoes, some snacks (spelunking is hard work!) and helmets. The helmet might seem like over-kill but it did its job well and saved us a few bumps in the end. You definitely get wet - you walk through a cold underground river/stream, and it's slippery in some places, mostly going in and out of the caves, of which there are 3. There are lots of glow-worms, make sure to remember to turn off the torch and look around you! Make sure to also check out the Rock Forest which is a bit of a turn off before you get to the first and largest cave (Organ Cave). It is made up of fantastic rock formations. Nearby Little Earth Lodge offers the above caving equipment for $7/pp which was handy (no public showers).

I.

Lovely out of the way spot that rewards people willing to spend a bit of effort. Well worth a visit. Note for inside caves do not go after heavy rain and wear good footwear plus you need a torch

R.

A very underrated place. The three caves in the complex are stunning, and with some good shoes, helmets and lights, you can explore a lot. The walk around the caves, through farmland, is beautiful too.

F.

Nice caves with a nice track for walking. Flashlight almost a must have

E.

Lovely walk, the caving part is really for more experienced people, but the kids and I enjoyed peeping our heads into them and exploring the area

G.

After just a bit of climbing you're in knee deep water but if you turn of your flashlights you'll see the glowworms and that is really awesome! Don't forget to bring Flashlights, good footwear and clothes wich can get wet!

M.

Very cool to explore. You need to be adventures otherwise skip this one. Bring light.

k.

Amazing experience, make sure u take head lamps maybe a torch too and Xtra batteries. Also shoes that u can get wet.

R.

Pretty cool experience. Beautiful scenery however the signs were confusing for the loop walk so had to turn around and go back the way we came.

D.

3 different caves, deep and dark, adventurous! Be careful they can be slippery , bring appropriate foot shaped shoes for a best and safe experience

S.

Wonderful experience of walking and exploring three caves. Took kids and they enjoyed too. Need lights to explore caves. Head lights preferred.

S.

These caves are definitely worth a visit for those who enjoy adventure. I recommend bringing equipment such as a head torch and closed in shoes. I would suggest a reasonable level of fitness.

J.

Awesome place to visit. Definitely need a decent head torch. Water was up to our knees in the 1st cave, so expect to get wet.

M.

Interesting limestone caves that you can explore freely inside. Easily accessible. You can also view some glowworms in one of the caves.

M.

These were great fun. Took my kids aged 6 through 10 through caves and they loved it.

J.

Wonderful caves for free. Plenty of glow worms and one eel. Wouldn't suggest flip flops but it's doable.

M.

Expected it to be far more accessible. Not something you want to go do without a backpack of equipment, or with young people. Beautiful walk though!

M.

Awesome caves, I would highly recommend that anyone visiting the Whangarei area go to these caves. Personally think they are better than waipu caves and other caves I've been in.

T.

Really beautiful. You can go in without any equipment too, despite what the sign tells you, but be careful and don't go alone!

M.

3 caves to explore ,have gumboots and head torch with you , organ cave , middle cave and ivy cave. Organ cave is the longest and middle cave is the shortest.

B.

Pleasant walk through farm land and around limestone rocks. Didn't explore the caves but understand its has stalagmites.

D.

Need good shoes, take care after heavy rain. Caves have water inside. Walk worth doing even without caving

C.

Fanstastic old school exploration sort of caves. No walkways in the caves just climb your way down. Good shoes highly reccomended

L.

Nice walk, exciting for kids, although might be a bit slippery.

H.

Beautiful place but lots of walking up and down need to be reasonably fit and mobile. Parking is awkward as it's in a narrow street.

B.

Nature at its finest! Very photogenic area. Be sure to.wear sturdy footwear and a torch is a necessity!

O.

nice walk.. you will need some stuff like head mounted lights & waterproof shoes

M.

Great place to explore for a short walk. Caves for experience d people only though

Z.

Free entry, nice walk around, 3 different caves, glow worms ;-)

I.

Goood but you need to be prepared. ... Foot wear. Lights ... Everything ... And inform someone that you are there ... Enjoy

A.

Nice place for a private caving experience. Make sure you go prepared as the level is but high and go with friends

T.

Beautiful caves to explore! Middle cave is my favourite

M.

Cool place for exploring. Take a headtorch and be prepared to get muddy and wet.

G.

Caves are for the experienced. We are not. Enjoyed the walk though.

B.

Looking forward to exploring when we have the proper gear. It's free and looks exciting.

M.

So much fun, so much to explore. Def a great family day out.

B.

Nice and interesting caves!

L.

Long walk but worth it

A.

first NZ-caves we were at: great! definitely worth a visit :)

L.

Aqua shoes, head lamp and have a good time ~~~

M.

Awesome place to explore.

s.

Cave enterance looks exciting but sadly its not for beginners

C.

Great caving fun exploration. signposting needs work but still good fun

R.

Great fun for the family. The walk is also very good.

M.

Beautiful rocks and trees, nice walk.

T.

Challenging to get down, but breathtaking and worth the effort

A.

The first cave is very hard so take care !

S.

Really interesting. Make sure you take a torch

R.

Awesome experience for the young ones during school holidays.

J.

WOW

R.

Awesome free caves - watch out you get wet!

D.

Amazing low-key impressive caves

J.

Lovely peaceful place for a walk.

K.

Don't go alone or without the correct equipment.

M.

Awesome experience 😬 So worth the stop.

J.

No access to the caves atm

m.

You will get wet feet 😉 worth it

N.

It was amazing loved every minute of it

T.

Get wet!

N.

Great place for a self guided caving experience

S.

Amazing to see

B.

What a hidden treasure we just stumbled upon.

L.

Great!

j.

Amazing glow worms

S.

Awesome

L.

Absolutely recommendable!

N.

absolutely amazing...

M.

Nice place for a visit,

N.

Bouldering!!!

S.

Adventures

W.

(Translated) Cave group consisting of Organ, Middle, and Ivy. You can explore three caves at a time. Especially Organ Cave is the longest and the water is not too deep and it is the most fun. Personally, it is more fun than Waipu Cave. Worth going back and forth. Strong flashlights, spare batteries and non-slip shoes are a must. (Original) 由Organ, Middle, 和Ivy 組成的洞穴群。可以一次連探三個洞穴。尤以Organ 洞穴最長且水不太深最好玩，個人覺的比Waipu Cave 還好玩。值得一去再去。強光電筒，備用電池和防滑鞋是一定要的。

S.

(Translated) There are a total of 3 caves here. It takes about 10 minutes to walk in along the roadside Abby cave sign. After 2 wooden doors, turn left and you will see the first cave, and then continue walking along the path for 5 minutes. When a chair enters the farm, you will see the sign of the second cave. You can go to the third cave within 5 minutes. After exiting, continue along the path to return to the original entrance (Loop). Super bright headlights + anti-slip shoes are needed. The water depth of the first 1-2 caves is no more than waist depth. The soil at the back of the third cave is soft and may be in danger of sinking. The water is deep, so we did not continue walking. The cave takes about 2 hours in total. The second cave is the shortest, with fireflies in it, but not as many as Waipu cave, but there are huge eels. (Original) 這裏總共有3個洞穴， 延著路旁Abby cave路標走進去約需10分鍾，過了2個木門後左轉即可看到第1個洞穴，再繼續沿著小路走5分鍾，要跨過1個椅子進到農場，會看到第2個洞穴的標示，一樣繼續走5分鍾內可以到第3個洞穴，出來後沿著小路繼續走，可以回到原來的入口（Loop）。需要超亮頭燈+止滑鞋，第1-2個洞穴水深不過腰，第3個洞穴最後面的泥土較鬆軟，可能有下陷的危險，水深較深，所以我們沒有繼續走下去，3個洞穴共需花2小時左右的時間，第2個洞穴最短，裏面都有螢火蟲，但不如Waipu cave那麼多，不過有看到超大的eels。

Z.

(Translated) The first hole in the water to the waist, can not enter too deep, so did not see a lot of fireflies, the second hole is not much fireflies, the third hole is not deep, can go far, fireflies are also the most (Original) 第一个洞水到腰部，不能进入太深，所以没有看到很多萤火虫，第二个洞萤火虫不多，第三个洞水不深，能进去很远，萤火虫也最多

P.

(Translated) Primitive cave! But because of the sparse population, I could not experience the hole (Original) 原始洞穴！但因為人煙稀少所以未能進洞體驗

S.

(Translated) Quite a climber without a safety device, but great when you are inside (Original) Ziemliche Kletterer ohne Sicherung, aber toll wenn man drin ist

J.

(Translated) In total there are three caves here, in the first and third you can see many glowworms. Definitely take a flashlight with you and either put on hiking shoes or better bathing shoes and shorts, then you can go the farthest into the caves. The water is sometimes knee-deep. (Original) Insgesamt gibt es hier drei Höhlen, in der ersten und dritten kann man viele Glowworms sehen. Auf jeden Fall Taschenlampe mitnehmen und entweder Wanderschuhe anziehen oder besser so badeschuhe und kurze Hosen, dann kann man am weitesten in die Höhlen gehen. Das Wasser ist teilweise knietief.

A.

(Translated) What an adventurer. Don't forget flashlights and at least one windbreaker! It goes partly through knee-deep ice-cold water. Then light out and fireflies everywhere! (Original) Was für Abenteurer. Taschenlampen und mindestens eine Windjacke nicht vergessen! Es geht teilweise durch knietiefes eiskaltes Wasser. Dann Licht aus und überall Glühwürmchen!

A.

(Translated) The signs are badly damn but the caves are pretty. Good shoes and powerful lamp (preferably frontal) necessary. (Original) Le fléchage est mal fichu mais les grottes sont jolies. Bonnes chaussures et lampe puissante ( de préférence frontale) nécessaires.

D.

(Translated) Incredible, very beautiful and the route is very long, the first cave is the one that I liked the most. (Original) Increíbles, muy bonitas y el recorrido es muy largo, la primera cueva es la que me gusto más.

מ.

(Translated) The entrance to the caves is very difficult. We arrived with children, we barely managed to get in for the first time and could not continue because of the big rocks. My husband went on alone to all the caves. The first cave is the most beautiful (Original) הכניסה למערות מאד קשה. הגענו עם ילדים, הצלחנו בקושי להכנס לראשונה ולא יכולנו להמשיך בגלל הסלעים הגדולים. בעלי המשיך לבד לכל המערות. המערה הראשונה הכי יפה

S.

(Translated) Absolutely worth seeing, especially the first cave with the dimensions of fireflies. (Original) Absolut sehenswert vor allem die erste Höhle mit der Maße an Glühwürmchen.

E.

(Translated) Good cave but difficult to get in and water is deep (Original) Gute Cave aber schwierig zum reinkommen und Wasser ist tief

K.

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