From Holiday Haven to Waipu Cave

The Waipu Cave. It taught me something.  A couple of somethings to be honest.  

I had become relaxed about cave exploration. Understandable, I suppose. The Waitomo Caves we saw a number of years ago were no problem at all. Of course, they had lights and wooden walkways, steps and platforms throughout their length and even a dock, from which we were loaded into boats for a journey through some more subterranean caverns and then out into the river which issues from that cave system. 

Same with the Kawiti Cave. That one was much shorter than Waitomo but also offered  special lanterns and had walkways and stairs that moved us tourists right along.  

Then there were the sea caves. I have been in a bunch of them. Some of them, many times. As long as the tide is out, exploring them is really easy. They all had a nice sand floor and required very little effort from the spelunker. And you knew that if the tide was tickling your toes again, it was time to leave. 

The Waipu Cave was another sort altogether. It is an unimproved cave.  It has neither lights, nor walkways nor level sandy floor. It is au-natural and proud of it.    

To enter, you climb down into a hole in the limestone cliff face and discover than the sloping rocks inside take you down to a steam at the bottom that you must hop across on the little rocks that stick out, or simply splash through it. All around the stream is wet clay that I found very slippery.  The far side seemed a long way off and it was here that I realized I could go no further. Oh, I could have, but it might have been foolish.  

The boys and Allie scooted past me, negotiated the rocks with ease, popped open their smart phone flashlight things, and disappeared into the darkness. So did a bunch of other people.   

Well, I thought, I had come into the cave anyway. I was far enough in that most pictures I might take, even with my flash, would have to be electronically 'doctored' before the detail could be seen. This would have to be good enough for this 68 year old.

Allie told me later that the cave stretched at least 300 yards back, and had some amazing places. The boys told me that at one point, the roof disappeared into the darkness above and the opening was full of glowworms. Wow.

My pictues today were all taken just inside the cave, mostly down at the level of the stream. As you will see, I added light to most of the pictures and the result is rather grainy. I still like them. I hope you do too.

From this angle, the opening is huge. You climb down from the top right side. The stream exits the cave on the lower left.  

On any given excursion, Amiri is usually in the lead. He is a soft-spoken young man, not given to flamboyance, but definitely an adventurer.  I'll never forget the way he lead our group from tree to tree on our redwood walk.  

https://fostersoe.blogspot.com/2017/05/our-voyage-aboard-redwood.html

The scene below as we approach the stream. 

There he is again, across the stream, waiting for the group to follow him.  

'Breath deeply the scent of a cave. Its odor carries hints of its mystery.  Accept its cool caress.'  

The River Styx?  Almost looks as though it could be. 

Almost out of the cave again. Picture taken with no flash.

Flash on

My flash turned this rock golden.

Natural light at the entrance.

The stream that exits the cave flows off.  More about that later...

Jeanne, in the meantime, while we've been underground, has been walking some of the trails along the cliff. 

When I was a kid in Wakefield, we lived near a hill with cliffs not too unlike these. At one point along a particular cliff face, a poplar tree had grown straight up in front of it. At the point where the tree rose above the top of the cliff, the tree was only about a foot away from the edge of the cliff. Bill, Wayne and I would stand at the edge, reach out and grab the tree, and slowly slide down the trunk to the ground. We thought ourselves very innovative. 

Amiri poses beneath a giant boulder that has come off the hillside, appearing to support its weight.  

Here, the stream that flows out of the cave has cut a very deep, but narrow channel through the rock. 

Amiri is on one side and Allie and Arram stand on the other. Arram cautiously peers into the depths of the chasm at their feet.  

Amiri makes a leap back to the others. The distance is not great, but the depth over which they're leaping makes the jump exciting.

Arram jumps in the opposite direction...

He qualified in the first round of the long jump competition at his school on Sports Day this year. He's got this.

...and Allie follows. 

Amiri, rather than jumping back over yet again, had taken the trail up to where Grammy watched and then walked with her back to the parking lot.  

What a fine time we've had in the last few days.  

What can I say about such a holiday?  Allie always finds interesting and fun things to do. Sometimes in the past, she has filled our days with activities and events. This time, she allowed us plenty of open time that let us savor the quiet and seclusion of our cliff-side hideaway.  Both were satisfying. What a daughter we have. 

And the boys. I don't think they realize what good travelers they really are.  I have been so proud of them so many times these past days. The way they accept the hours of driving. The way they can order in restaurants. Their continual good natures. Their willingness to try new things.  

Jeanne and I return home impressed and recharged.

I came home with stacks (figuratively speaking) of pictures.  I weeded out quite a few that were out of focus or otherwise lacking.  I've shown you many of the rest of them in these five posts.  

I speak now especially to my family. Most of you are still busy with earning a living. You may not have all the quality time you'd like to have and checking out my posts takes some of that precious free time.  I hope that you can look at our adventurous life here in New Zealand and dream about the time when you too can retire and discover to what adventures your particular life will lead you. 

Fred, you just made the big step and and you and McKenzie have just made a big change. I wish you all the best as you settle in to your new home. You have escaped the frozen lands.  

Keep watching everyone, lots more pictures and stories from around Aotearoa to come.          -djf