|
|
In 1999, I originally planned to visit New Zealand, and their caves, on the way home from a six week trip to Papua New Guinea and Australia. I was having such a good time in Australia and with time constraints; I decided to forgo New Zealand to a future trip. This decision was a good one, because as you will discover, five days is insufficient to visit caves in New Zealand.
Last December, I was ready for a two-week adventure vacation. I spoke with some friends down under and learned Sydney University Speleological Society (SUSS) was planning a trip to Waitomo, New Zealand during late January 2003. I was able to join the trip and looked forward to having a fun time with the lively Aussies. My next task was getting the equipment for the trip during the next three weeks.
Since the caves are wet I needed a nylon suit, as my PVC would be much too warm. Unfortunately during the Christmas and New Years period, most cave suit makers were on holiday. Fortunately, Dragon Speleo in Wales would be able to make and get a suit to me in time. I also contacted Sterling Rope, and they were able to provide some of their 10mm HTP polyester rope which would be excellent for wet caves as polyester does not absorb water. I finally decided to go digital for photography for this trip. After spending a week trying to find a digital camera that is compatible with flash slaves, I ordered a Canon G2 three days before departure. (Advice to anyone using flash slaves - be sure to test the camera before purchase, as many digital cameras use a pre-flash for exposure settings which triggers the slave too early. This is different to red-eye reduction.)
It was the day before I was to leave, and my cave suit had not yet arrived. With the struggle to find the right camera and no cave suit, my stress level was terrible. A little notice in my mail box informed me to pick up a package at the post office. I had to pick it up at the post office the morning of my departure! Fortunately it fit ok. After arriving at the airport, my stress ended, and I could finally relax on vacation!
 |
Travelling 'Down Under' takes a long time and since I cross the International Date Line I had to leave two days prior to meeting the group on Saturday. (On the way back, I arrived in LA before I left in Auckland - think about that when you're drunk.) Little did I know the adventure was about to begin before arriving in New Zealand. United Airlines had overbooked the flight, so I was routed to Auckland via Sydney. I was supposed to arrive by 2:45pm, a little later than many of the others coming from Sydney. No problem, a quick phone call to let the group know I was arriving late, and I was quickly placed on the plane to Sydney. Upon arrival in Sydney, I discovered I was booked on a later connecting flight to Auckland arriving at 5:20pm, not 2:45pm. Would my mates figure this out and wait, or would I be on my own!? This was troublesome because with all the gear issues I never got directions to exactly where we were going to stay.
Unfortunately, United did not have a customer service desk in the international transit area, and I could not go to the main terminal area without going through immigration. For some reason there were few United agents to be found. I told my story to a Qantas agent, and I asked if she could get a message to my friends that were checking into a Qantas flight on the other side of the terminal. She took pity on me, and found a United agent to help me. After hearing my saga, both of them tried to get me placed on the Qantas flight that the others were on! However, the problem was they could not find my bags. (New travel regulations require you to travel on the same flight as your bags.) By the time they discovered my bags were already in Auckland (so much for regulations), it was too late to catch the Qantas flight. Since the Qantas flight was beginning to board the plane, the agent entered into their computer system to give a message to SUSS member Megan Pryke when she boarded that my arrival time had changed.
After about 24 hours of travel, instead of 12 hours, I finally arrived in Auckland! The next task was getting my luggage. Since my bags had already arrived, and the last United flight arrived in the morning, my bags were in lock-up, and of course, no United agent was around. Fortunately, the Air New Zealand agent was able to unlock the storage and get my stuff. I was able to get through customs easily, but I was asked detailed questions regarding the cleaning of my outdoor equipment (If you are going to New Zealand, be sure to clean your gear with water and a brush to get off the dirt). My thoughts turned to: Did Megan get the message of my late arrival? The answer was yes, as I saw Chris Norton waiting for me.
 |
After cramming four people, four sets of caving gear, and vital supplies of beer into a small car, we set off for Waitomo, which is about 2 hours south of Auckland. Our destination was the Hamilton Tomo Group's caving hut which operates as a backpacker hotel, and was to be my home for two weeks. I was looking forward to a vacation of meeting some Aussies and Kiwis. Upon arrival, I was horrified to discover about 20 Americans on a college adventure tour were staying at the hut. I expected to be the sole American there. I declared to one of the Americans, "there are too many bloody Americans!" One of them asked, "Hey, aren't you an American too?" Yes, but I am Californian so that is different. They were only staying a few days, so that was good. I had lots of fun answering the phone when someone wanted to talk to someone from the group of Aussie cavers. After a long pause they replied, "you must be the one from California."
The next morning, Sunday, January 19, was the first caving trip of the vacation and I was anxious to experience Kiwi caves. With the high rainfall, and very green scenery, I expected to see lots of stream passage and many decorations! I decided to go to Virgina Cave which is known to have a very nice decorated passage. This would also be a good test for my new digital camera, and because we had to swim across a muddy pool of water, also a test of my new pelican case. I was joined by Sean Hill, Michael Taylor, and fellow Newcastle club member Mike Helman. After descending the 35 meter drop, we headed upstream past something that smelled very dead. Dead animals are often encountered because they either fall in or sometimes the farmers toss them down the entrance. The passage ended at a beautiful pool with white formations flowing into the water which is called the Hall of the Gods. The digital camera worked great and it was fantastic to be able to see the results and adjust the lighting to get a great photo.
In California, finding a cave entrance generally requires a lot of effort. Usually it involves a long hike to get to the entrance, and often up a steep nasty slope. Sometimes the hike is more difficult and longer than visiting the cave! In New Zealand, it was driving onto a farmer's property, going through several livestock gates and parking within a kilometer of the entrance. What made this trip really nice is the HTG hut has many maps of the caves and a book of who to call to get permission to visit or cross a farmer's property. The most difficult part was deciding which of the many caves that were within an hour's travel you wanted to visit.
The typical Waitomo cave passage follows the stream level with an occasional breakdown which required climbing over. The passages were on average about an arm span wide. Occasionally there was a larger room, but nothing I would call big, [Paul didn't go to Mangapu - ed] except for Hollow Hill which has a massive tall and wide passage that follows the stream. The lower levels were not generally decorated, but the upper levels, above the flood zone, often had nice decorated areas. What surprised me most was that there were not many junctions. I expected junctions from side streams joining the main passage, but that was generally not the case. I suspect there are side passages at the upper levels, but we spent most of our time at the stream levels.
 |
There are activities on the surface, and we spent a day exploring Mangawhitikau gorge. The group was Aussie Andrew, Phil Maynard, Sean Hill, Verity Morris, Simon Goddard, and myself. It is a nice walk upstream in a beautiful canyon with vertical walls and native jungle vegetation. There is one spot when the river takes an almost 180 degree turn on itself for 100 meters, followed by a 90 degree bend. We eventually came upon a resurgence, and climbed over the hill through native jungle to explore a small cave with many glow worms!
Glow worms, which are the pupa stage of an insect, are unique to Australia, New Zealand, and possibly some of the other South Pacific islands. The worms are generally found on the ceiling. They hang threads up to a foot long of sticky material; similar to a spider's web, but without the complex structure. The worm uses bioluminescence to attract insects which get caught in the threads and become a meal. The Waitomo area is famous due to this little worm, and many tourists come to see the Glow Worm Cave of Waitomo.
New Zealand is volcanically active, and I spent a day above ground visiting geothermal springs and pools near Rotorua. I was joined by Chris Norton, Simon Goddard, and Sean Hill. In addition to mudpools, gurgling steaming water, there are pools with green, yellow, and orange water caused by different minerals in the water. I didn't see any geysers, but the views and scenery are quite spectacular. We also visited Kerosene Creek to swim in the hot springs, which were almost unbearably hot and it took a while to adjust to the water. However, they had a sign warning of amoebic meningitis which can enter through your ears and nostrils. I wasn't sure I wanted to stay a long time in the water. I was more content to relax on the grass and enjoy the sunny day and not have to worry about what horrible amoeba called meningitis might do to me!
 |
During one evening, after dinner, a local known as Aussie Andrew arranged for the group to experience Black Water Rafting which involves floating downstream the inside of a cave on a tire tube! They provide wetsuits, lights, and shoes, and it's very popular with the tourists. The experience was a lot of fun and a highlight was floating down the cave with our lights off and the passage lit only by glowworms. It is a touristy adventure, but it is a lot of fun, and I recommend the experience even for skilled cavers.
During my vacation, I did 12 caving trips. As I mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of caves which are easy to reach in the Waitomo area, the problem is deciding which one to visit. While all of them were great and fun, four caves left a lasting impression and are on my personal must visit list. However, honorable mention goes to Hollow Hill because it is so different from the other caves in the area and the passage is very large.
The first is Mangawhitikau cave which has a huge underground river passage. A wetsuit, good swimming ability, and dependable light are required. This cave is quite long and requires permission from two land owners because the entrance and exit are on different properties. You start by descending a smallish entrance and after a 30 meter vertical drop you follow a narrow canyon which does not seem very impressive. Suddenly you join the main river and begin going upstream. It has water falls, whirl pools, and some large rooms. Eventually, you reach a sump which is bypassed via an upper level. However, to get back down to the main stream there is a 30 meter vertical chimney. It looks scary, but is easily done. After following the stream it becomes wide and as you approach the tomo (native New Zealander term for pit or drop) exit there are heaps of glowworms! I also met a tourist party from Blackwater in tire tubes. Never passing up a chance to surprise, or confuse, a tourist, I asked if they were the pizza delivery I had ordered.
Second is Gardner's Gut, which is the North Island's longest mapped cave at 2.25 miles from the Downstream Entrance up to the Helms Entrance! I did three trips to this cave and went to three different areas. The first trip was to see a highly decorated area in the upper Peter Lambert Level. This trip involved a tricky climb up, and I was chosen as the person to make the climb. (Why do I always get selected to do the tricky climbs when I am usually the shortest person in the group?) We first attempted climbing up a face that looked very scary, bit was wisely aborted. After some searching, I found a chimney route that I could ascend. The scariest part was traversing into a smooth dirt covered slope that dropped off into the stream 60 feet below! I managed the climb, and rigged a tape for the others. Geoff was willing to do the scary climb with tape, even though I recommended the chimney route as being easier. Sean and Alan decided to exit the cave as they were cold, and I don't think were inspired to make the scary climb. Geoff and I explored the upper level, and while taking pictures I soon heard voices. The sound was coming from a small passage beyond, so they managed to find another way up. We turned off our lights and were going to give them a scare when they emerged. After hearing Alan Pryke grunt and groan trying to get through the Organ Grinder squeeze, I could not contain my laughter any more.
 |
The second Gardners Gut trip was a 2.25 mile through trip from the lower to upper entrance. The passage from the lower entrance is a tall and narrow canyon stream passage that is sometimes only a body width wide. The lower stream section is not decorated as it is subject to flooding. Towards the upper entrance the passage became wider with oxbow turns and more side passages. This area is also more decorated. Eventually, the passage becomes narrow again and terminates at a tomo. You climb up and emerge in native New Zealand jungle and a nice place for a lunch break. You could walk back on the surface through confusing jungle, but it is easier to return underground.
The third Gardners Gut trip was to visit the Henry Lambert level, which is an upper level on the opposite side of the stream to the Peter Lambert Level. This passage is reached by entering the Zweihoehlen entrance which is about 200-300 meters above the Downstream Entrance stream level. This has some nice decorations including a very large stalagmite called the birthday candle. Another very interesting formation is a translucent stalagmite that glows red when you put a light behind it. We then abseiled down into the main stream passage and exited the cave.
The third cave on my must visit list is Luckie Strike. It begins with a small stream entering the hillside and doesn't look very promising. Very quickly is a small waterfall that you must descend which ends in a deep pool. A tape is recommended, and before I went down, I tied a footloop, to make it easier to get back up. The passage is mostly body width wide and smooth with lots of climb downs, and your are certain it will end very soon, but yet it keeps going. Then suddenly after a crawling under a formation, the passage widens with flowstone on both sides of the canyon. The cave then became a narrow slotted canyon with climb downs.
Eventually you reach a pretty water fall into a sump. Then the fun begins. Because you have been going downstream, but on the return it's upstream through smooth slippery canyon stream passage. This requires much more effort! This is a cave you can underestimate and is very sporty. It was the only trip where I felt I had done some hard caving. Upon returning to the waterfall near the entrance, I was glad I tied the foot loop, because without it I am not sure our party could have gotten out of the cave!
The fourth cave on my must-visit list is Fred which has a 70 meter free entrance drop! The drive to the cave was the usual transit through a sheep paddock. However, there were a lot of sheep, and sheep being sheep, they decided to run. The sheep in the neighboring paddocks on both sides also decided to run. It was my first attempt at sheep herding, but I think I did a good job. After locating the right entrance, you descend a slope to the sudden drop off. After going over the edge you come to the rebelay with a 70 meter free drop. You try to avoid looking the long way down to the bottom. The walls are smooth and there is a small water fall to your left. You keep wondering when you will reach the bottom. The view looking up at the sky with the trees in the background is quite beautiful. The other reason to visit Fred is to see some very nice gypsum flowers and crystals. After visiting the cave, you must pay the price and climb up the rope which takes 20-30 minutes.
With a large group, certain individuals are going to get restless and need a diversion! A certain individual that I will call Nomis wanted to set off a few carbide bombs one evening. For those not familiar with carbide bombs, when acetylene gas reaches a certain pressure it detonates thus making a lot of noise. The only problem is that to avoid upsetting the nearby neighbors such activities are not allowed at the HTG hut. After supplies of carbide, water, and containers were found, and more importantly someone sober enough to drive, ie me, we departed to put on a show. There was no one around and only the distant mooing of cattle could be heard, a perfect location. About three or four bombs were set off with enough intensity to produce an echo that could be heard through the valley. Nomis and the gang were very happy! I decided it was time to leave - I did not want to answer any questions to a local police force that was suspicious about some foreigners that were up to no good.
New Zealand was an excellent vacation spot and I enjoyed myself tremendously. The members from SUSS were skilful cavers [???? ed.] and I hope they enjoyed caving with me as much as I enjoyed caving with them. Hopefully some SUSS people will visit California soon so I can show them some excellent marble caves.
Sun, Jan 19 Virgina: Paul Nelson, Mike Helman, Sean Hill, Michael Taylor
Mon, Jan 20 Mangawhitikau Gorge: Paul Nelson, Phil Maynard, Simon Goddard, Verity Morris, Sean Hill, & Aussie Andrew
Wed, Jan 22 Mangawhitikau: Paul Nelson, Phil Maynard, Sean Hill, Geoff McDonnell, Verity Morris, and Michael Taylor
Thu, Jan 23 Gardners Gut: Paul Nelson, Sean Hill, Geoff McDonnell, Alan Pryke
Fri, Jan 24 Ernies Waterfall: Alan Pryke, Geoff McDonnell, Megan Pryke, Paul Nelson, & Martin Pfeil
Sun, Jan 26 Waipuna: Annalisa Contos, Sean Hill, Paul Nelson, Patrick (Welsh caver). Luckie Strike: Ibid.
Mon, Jan 25 Kuratahi: Paul Nelson, Mark Lowson, Sean Hill
Tue, Jan 26 Gardners Gut: Paul Nelson and Mark Lowson
Wed, Jan 27 Fred: Paul Nelson, Sean Hill, Phil Maynard, Verity Morris, Mark Lowson
Thu, Jan 28 Hollow Hill: Paul Nelson, Phil Maynard, Mike Helman, Sean Hill
Fri, Jan 29 Gardners Gut: Paul Nelson, Annalisa Contos, Simon Goddard, Sean Hill
Sat, Jan 30 Catherwoods: Megan Pryke, Annalisa Contos, Paul Nelson, Geoff McDonnell, Mark aka 'Muppet' (local HTG kiwi caver)