I enjoyed seeing the smaller cave but I was really 'chomping on the bit' to get into this one. It turned out to be even larger than I thought.
In this picture, I think I'm getting some perspective distortion effects from having zoomed in on this couple. In other words, the cave appears shallower than it really is. In this picture that archway in the cave seems to be just a little higher than they are tall and appears to be just about a dozen steps away from them. And yet, in the next shot...
you can see it's true height as they stand underneath it. Notice too that the area ahead of them seems to be quite small. But then...
when they get up against the far wall, look how tiny they have become. Interesting optical effects. I wish I had paced it off, entrance to back wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjjSWiJcUrQ&feature=youtu.be
This is the floor, the back of the cave and some of the ceiling in natural light.
This is the same spot with the flash on. the blues and greens are some sort of weird growth...
If you look at the picture above this one and then back at this one, I think you'll be able to see that this one is a close up of one section of the upper picture. Look at those colors.
After I took that shot just above, I went over to the left side of the back wall of the cave, to where I could see a thin crack in the wall, knelt down, reached in, and pulled out this little souvenir from where it was wedged under a larger rock.
It's only about two inches, top to bottom.
It's a fairly deep cave. This shot I took with Jeanne in it makes it look longer and more narrow than the previous ones (with the couple) do. This picture is better for showing the true size and shape of the place.
The floor rises a good eight feet or so from the mouth of the cave to the back.
There are lots of holes in the walls and ceiling. Some of them seem to go quite a ways in.
Here's a better one. I put my arm in as far as I could go and didn't reach the end. When I told Fred about this cave, he wondered if there was any treasure hidden it it. Well, not in this hole there wasn't. Good question though. Good excuse to go back and do some more looking. (Of course, I think the rock I brought home is a pretty good treasure.)
Look at the amazing colors in this section of rock that my flash brings to light. This place is volcanic. What an amazing mixture of elements must make up this rock.
That's Jeanne sitting on the beach chair. We had been drinking some Koko Samoa. Then I came back into the cave for one more look. I just hovered around the opening rather than hiking to the back of it again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnY7N63NwyI&feature=youtu.be
...I just learned something interesting while researching this cave. It appeared in an episode of Xena, Warrior Princess. It was known in the movie as Callisto's Cave. -djf
Looks like a perfectly shaped cartoon mouse hole in the first couple pictures! for a very BIG mouse! But I'm guessing no such critter lives in this hole (thank goodness!).
ReplyDeleteI love the blues and greens on the cave walls - probably some kind of algae or moss - but wouldn't it be cool if it were some precious gems... or a mineral or metal like copper? I love all the colors and patterns your camera reveals on the dark cave walls - and your little rock souvenir is also quite colorful - do you know what it is composed of?
I occasionally watch Zena re-runs and have noticed that the credits include a NZ studio and/or location - so now whenever I watch Zena, I will pay extra attention to the landscape.
Now I'm waiting for the next chapter of Bethell Beach!
I have never seen a Zena episode, and ran out of patience (rather quickly) while looking through Youtube for the one that featured this cave. Maybe you'll find it some time.
ReplyDeleteThe final chapter of our day at Bethell takes place on and around a shelf of rock just outside the cave. Nice and sunny.
I have no idea what the rock I collected is made of, but we have a bus friend, Ann, who has degrees in Both marine biology and geology and I intend to show it to her some morning at the 143 bus stop near us. I'll keep you posted.