Graffiti vandals hit Waitomo Caves

A fortnight after a suspicious fire forced the Waitomo Caves to close, they were closed again yesterday after vandals painted obscenities throughout the international tourist attraction.

Sergeant Craig Lindstrom, of Te Kuiti police, said Waitomo Caves management and police were appalled and sickened by the mindless vandalism done overnight.

The offenders had splashed white acrylic paint on various structures and limestone formations throughout the cave system.

The damage was first noticed this morning by caves staff before they were due to open to the public.

"The extent of the damage and area requiring cleaning has forced the closure of the caves for the day and tourists were redirected to other attractions in the area," Mr Lindstrom said.

Department of Conservation and cave staff were monitoring the clean-up to limit any damage to the limestone formations.

Staff were confident that they would be able to remove the paint in time for normal operations today.

"There is no apparent motive for the attack. Messages in the paint on the walkways were of an obscene nature and not directed at any particular organisation or person," Mr Lindstrom said.

"The letters 'f u NZ' were predominant amongst the paint damage."

Police were investigating.

Mr Lindstrom said there was no indication if the damage was connected to the December 14 fire at the glow worm caves and other incidents in the nearby village.

Te Kuiti police told NZPA a day after the fire that they had found no evidence of suspicious circumstances.

The fire appeared to have started soon after 2am and destroyed the visitor centre at the entrance to the caves, including a ticket office, cafe, accommodation and souvenir shop.

The glow worm caves are one of New Zealand's longest-serving tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 600,000 visitors a year.

- NZPA