Blue Creek Resurgence is located in the Nelson region at the top of the South Island. Here the karst formation is predominantly marble and limestone. The area is renowned for the Nettlebed (24 km in length) and Bulmer (53 km) dry cave systems, which travel deep underneath the surrounding mountains. Tourist and wild caves litter the area and are a Mecca to dry cavers.

Cave divers Keith Dekkers and Kieren McKay had done several initial exploration dives in Blue Creek. Kieren reported the cave dropped to a gravel restriction at 32 metres and then opened into a river passage four metres wide, flowing both ways, explored to a depth of 45 metres.