Diver Captures Footage of Undiscovered Cave in New Zealand

A diving instructor has found an undiscovered cave half a mile underground in New Zealand, posting incredible footage of the discovery online.

Martyn Farr, 63, was diving through a 350-feet-long underwater passage, before he emerged into a display of stalactites and stalagmites in the previously unexplored cave.

Farr, from Crickhowell in South Wales, managed to make his way through a three mile-long system of underground tunnels carrying 65lb of equipment to reach the cave.

He spent around nine hours underground and captured footage of his discovery, which he named ‘Avalon Hall’ after the mystical island from the legend of Britain’s King Arthur.

“Finding something as special as Avalon Hall is very much every cave explorer’s dream,” says Martyn.

“‘Being the first to find something special or unique is a quite incredible feeling. I have never lost the passion for this. The name speaks volumes about the beauty and grandeur of the place,”

It is a challenge to find anything new and previously undiscovered in the present age, but underground it is a different story, says the diving instructor.

“We are constantly finding new stuff,” he reveals. “Now it’s wide open and we have a system of passages running to over three-miles in length – with many more miles still to come.”

Avalon Hall is the latest find in a system of new caves, which ultimately drain into the famous Waikoropupu Spring system near Takaka, located at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

Commonly known as ‘Pupu Springs’ the area is a spiritual centre in Maori legends, which tell of the water’s healing properties.

Original story and Martyn’s video reported on the Daily Mail.