thumb|The mouth of The Resurgence, the spring that drains much of the hill through limestone caves and sinkholes

Tākaka Hill, previously also referred to as Marble Mountain, is a range of hills in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. Made of marble that has weathered into many strange forms and with numerous sinkholes, it is typical karst country. The marble is Ordovician in age and from the Tākaka terrane.

There is only one road winding over and around the flanks of Tākaka Hill, State Highway 60, following the valleys of the Tākaka River to the northwest and the Riuwaka River to the southeast. In July 2020, the name of the pass was officially gazetted as Tākaka Hill Saddle by the New Zealand Geographic Board.

It rises to 791 metres at its highest point and separates the coastal communities of Golden Bay from those of the more populous Tasman Bay to the southeast and because of its winding nature isolates Golden Bay from the rest of the South Island.

Tākaka Hill is notable for its (now defunct) marble quarry and for many limestone caves and sinkholes, including Ngārua Caves which are open to the public and feature deposits of moa bones. Harwoods Hole, at one time the deepest cave in New Zealand, is also to be found on Tākaka Hill.

Many of the caves drain into The Resurgence, a spring at the foot of the hill.

Labyrinth Rock Park, near Tākaka township, is an accessible natural rock maze of sculptured rocks, corrugated walls and vertical clefts.

Tākaka Hill, as many other areas in and around the Golden Bay, has also been the location for many scenes filmed for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Demographics

Tākaka Hills statistical area, which includes Brooklyn and Rākauroa / Torrent Bay, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>.

Takaka Hills had a population of 1,302 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 117 people (9.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 204 people (18.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 660 males and 642 females in 495 dwellings. 2.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 213 people (16.4%) aged under 15 years, 171 (13.1%) aged 15 to 29, 666 (51.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 252 (19.4%) aged 65 or older.

See also

  • List of caves in New Zealand

References

  • Caving areas in New Zealand