Abbey Caves death: Rāhui in Whangārei could be extended as wider debate on access continues

Karnin Petera, a Year 11 student at Whangārei Boys’ High, died in Abbey Caves in May. Photo / Michael Cunningham

By Peter de Graaf of RNZ

A cave system near Whangārei could stay closed for some time after the death of a 15-year-old boy during a school caving trip in May.

Local hapū declared a rāhui at Abbey Caves until the end of August, but the closure may be extended because the tragedy has sparked a wider debate about access to caves around the district.

Mark Scott, Māori outcomes manager for Whangārei District Council, said many caves were significant to Māori because they were used to inter the remains of ancestors.

“This incident has raised the matter of how the Māori world, pre-colonisation or pre-European contact, is meeting the modern world in terms of how significant sites, in particular cave systems, are being utilised for recreational purposes.”

A rāhui sign and flowers at the entrance to the Abbey Caves track. Photo / Michael Cunningham

That was a discussion that had not taken place, among Whangārei tribes at least, for a long time.

Scott said it had also revived memories of how cave systems had been desecrated or pillaged and sparked a debate about why caves were accessible for recreational use at all.

“So that’s a discussion that has come back to the fore and has been deliberated on, not just by the mana whenua of the Abbey Caves, but by all the tribes across Whangārei, to discuss further whether they will support the opening of the cave systems.”

He said the council would keep supporting the tribes to discuss future access and reconcile differing views about whether caves should be open to the public.

One option was to add a layer of cultural health and safety, including signage to explain the area’s significance and encourage respect.

Scott said that was ultimately something for the hapū to determine.

Local hapū declared a rāhui at Abbey Caves until the end of August, but the closure may be extended. Photo / Michael Cunningham

He said local tribes had wrapped support around the family that had lost a son in the incident.

The rāhui was put in place on May 11 by kaumātua of Ngāti Kahu o Torongare.

It initially included a rāhui on fishing or gathering shellfish in the upper Whangārei Harbour, which has since been lifted.

A WorkSafe inquiry into the death of Karnin Petera, a Year 11 student at Whangārei Boys’ High, is continuing.

Another 14 boys and two adults in the cave at the time managed to get out after heavy rain caused water levels within the cave to rise rapidly.

The Whangārei district is rich in limestone caves, some of which are, or were, accessible to the public.

The best-known systems are Abbey Caves, just east of the city centre, and Waipū Caves in Bream Bay.