This publication records the formal proceedings of the Sixth Australasian Conference on Cave tourism and Management.  It should also record that there was a very productive exchange of ideas, attitudes and information during the informal sessions and an exchange of genuine friendship between professionals in the highly specialised field of cave management.

It is only in the last two decades or so that an awareness has developed of the need for scientific cave management and yet caves in our part of the world have been used for recreation and  revenue for around a century. In some cases those first eighty years  or so without adequate management has led to a deterioration of the resource and in a relatively short period in the life of the cave, damage has been done that cannot be repaired.  Cave management then is a relatively new but very important field and cave managers  and others with a responsibility for caves management are very few  in number, the opportunities for professional dialogue are limited. These biennial conferences do create a platform on which we can advance our profession.  It is pleasing to note how the  conferences have  developed  over  the years particularly  the   international flavour with the contribution from North America and Ellery's perceptive observations of caves management overseas.

No doubt much of the information and ideas bought together at  this conference will flow back to caves throughout Australasia  improving both management techniques and the visitor experience.  To  maintain the momentum is the challenge to us all, the difficulty as Andy Spate commented is to get these ideas into the heads of the  people above us.  This is one way in which hosting the conference can assist the cave manager.  It seems to me that here in Waitomo  the conference will have its greatest impact.  The conference and  our centenary in two years focuses attention on us at a time when we are entering a new and critical period.  It was an extremely  useful exercise to use the conference as a platform to suggest a  direction for the future of cave tourism in Waitomo.  The feedback and suggestions were encouraging and  it  is hoped  that  this will continue as development planning begins.

I believe that the dialogue amongst us should continue in  between the conferences.  One way to keep in touch is the Caves  Management Newsletter.  This needs your contribution to make it viable, so  if you have any news on new appointments, new facilities, useful products or techniques, recent publications, management plans  etc, send the information to Ellery for inclusion in the newsletter.

This is an appropriate time to pay tribute to Ellery  Hamilton-Smith not only for convening this conference, not an easy task when  the Tasman separates us, but for his considerable input into caves management  throughout  Australasia.   His  advanced  and   precise thinking continues to inspire us all.  These conferences owe  much of their success to his foresight, organisation and  participation. We are indeed fortunate in New Zealand that there is so much co-operation and liaison between Government agencies,  institutions and interested groups in the area of caves management.  Much of  the generation of that spirit comes from the Department of Lands  and Survey.  Their support for the conference contributed a great  deal to its success and we are grateful to them for their active participation, for the vehicles and staff they made available  for field trips and for typing and drafting these proceedings.   Thanks also to the Waitomo Caves Museum Society for their support and assistance before and during the conference and to everyone who attended or presented papers.  Photographs in these proceedings were taken by  Glen Bailey, the characters on the front cover are Jim Young and Dave Gardiner both from Waitomo.

I hope the Waitomo Conference has expanded our skills as  Managers of caves and karst, remember to support Ellery with the  newsletter, see you in New South Wales in 1987.

Dave Williams
T.H.C. Waitomo Caves