Dunedin to Catlins to Bluff

The Department of Conservation (DOC) sign warns not to lean on or climb over the fence that circles the blowhole. You have to wonder how many animals or people fell into this gaping hole in the field 200m inland from the sea before it was fenced off. The blowhole is 55m deep and 144m long. It formed when the roof section of a large subterranean cavern, eroded by the sea, caved in. It was very impressive listening to the roar of the waves as they surged in and out of the cave shooting a cloud of water and mist up each time. Select the photo below to see the blowhole from another angle and to gain an idea of its size (that is Pete on the opposite side).