Waitomo Caves

Trip Start Mar 09, 2007
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Trip End Ongoing


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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Got to the caves at about Mid-day. We were quite tired after having got up so early but we were booked up on the Rap, Rock and Raft experience and had to go. So shortly after arriving at our hostel, Juno Hall, we were being picked up and driven to the Rap, Rock and Raft H.Q to find out what we were letting ourselves in for. There was another three people doing the tour with us. We met Marcus our cave guide and extremly fun if not a little bit worrying driver, who was obviously a masocist . When we arrived at the equipment shed I was alittle bit worried by the slight shanty town feel to the place, but It was when we were given our equipment that I began to fully worry. We had wellington boots or Gum Boots I should say, which had holes in the bottom which were there apparently to let the water out, intresting science at work here!
A short drive later (in our top quality caving apparel) and we're at the entrance to the cave and being connected up to ropes looking down into a large hole 01. Ready for a bit of action.
01. Ready for a bit of action.
 . Down to a quite fast flowing river! Abseiling down was good fun but the last foot as we desended was into the river and was a little chilly and not very nice as the science of our boot drainage holes seemed to fail against the Laws of physics. As we moved into the Darkness and turned the lights on on our helmets you get the feeling you're entering another world. Dave saw a big cave Weta which is like a grasshopper and also a massive Black jumping spider that freaked him by hopping towards him as he looked into the little webby hole it was sitting in. We were soon given giant black rubber rings and it was here the real adventure began as we all disapeared down the river lying over them. Going down some of the rapids it was dam near impossible to stay aboard your ring and in one of the more terbulent sections Dave turned round to Ted to say something and there was just an empty ring floating alongside him, then a massive splutter and thrashing of water as Ted resurfaced a way down the cave looking slightly shocked. Then suddenly the shout goes out to turn off our lights and so we're now floating at quite a pace through complete and total pitch blackness. It's now that the feel of magic inside the cave comes over you as through the darkness you start to see the Glow worms that we were all looking forward to seeing. Just hanging there in the blackness like thousands of shimering green stars, It was Amazing just floating along under them. Then a gentle roar in the distance begins to grow louder and we all start to get a little bit worried 02 Being lowered to the depths.
02 Being lowered to the depths.
 . Still in complete blackness (except for the tiny Glowworm stars)it now sounds like we're just about to go over the edge of Niagra, Felt a little bit silly when we all put our lights back on and we're at the top of a waterfall about a metre high. It's at this point in the tour that those of us, who weren't already wet, got completely drenched by stumbling with the giant rubber ring on the descent down the waterfall, I think everyone in the group had been submerged by the time we made it to the point where we left our rubber rings and started a bit of crawling through tiny holes and tight gullies these too were also full of cold fast flowing water. We then made our way slowly back up river and out to the cave opening where by now it was complete blackness outside as night had descended. Here we faced our last challenge which was to say the least daunting. About 40 foot of near vertical rock face covered in wet moss and slime. If that wasn't bad enough it was pitch black, freezing cold and we were wearing scientificly floored wet Gum boots. Everybody made it up without incident baring one of the other girls that had done the tour with us, SHE FELL! It was alright though as she, like all of us, had a safety rope attached. To say the least we were all pretty chuffed to make it back to Shanty town H.Q get out of our wet clothes and take a well deserved hot shower, We then went out for a meal at the closest resturant about 15km away called The Thirsty Weta. Excellent grub and a great atmosphere. Then it was back to Juno hall and very shortly afterwards to sleep as it had been a hefty day and we had to get the coach to Roturua the following day.
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