The Road Less Traveled

Red is of course the color of choice for Valentines Day, with all those hearts and things. (And my heart of course belongs to my bride Cindy!) But it was also a red-letter day this year, as our New Zealand Residence Permits were issued on February 14th. Previously we had work permits (study permit for Max) that were valid for a couple years, but with residence permits we can remain here indefinitely if we so choose. Of course the plan is still to spend “a year or two” (probably at least until Max graduates so he doesn’t have to change schools again), and then see where we want to go from there. But there was substantial paperwork involved (applications, medical reports, police reports, etc.), even for the work permits, and this is the final end result of all that prep work. (And yes, I still need to write about that process…) So, Happy Valentines Day, and let me go file this pile of immigration paperwork that culminates six months of effort!

Yesterday while running some errands, someone called out to me in the parking lot, “Which Gig Harbor?”. Huh? Then I remembered that I was wearing a Gig Harbor Volleyball shirt that Cindy’s sister Sandy had given to me (she’s a P.E. teacher and volleyball coach at Gig Harbor High School). I responded with “The one in Washington?”, trying to think if there were any others. So that’s how I met a fellow expat Northwesterner, now living on a sheep farm an hour north of Auckland!

(Reminds me of my other small-world experience, when in a market in London, someone behind me said, “Pardon me old chap, do you know the way to McGilvra School?” - McGilvra School having been the elementary school I attended as a child - turns out to have been neighbors from back in Seattle!)

(Update: Photos are here.)

Actually, my first “experience” was at the Auckland Speleo Group’s meeting at the Mount Eden Quarry in Auckland a couple weeks ago. Met some nice people, ate some good fish’n'chips, tried to remember how my vertical gear gets set up after a couple years, and got to rappel (or abseil, as it’s known here) down the rock face. One person had the latest NSS News from the States, and it featured caving in New Zealand! Perhaps we’ll see a surge in interest from American cavers in coming down? (I emailed my previous group to see if I could tempt anyone.)

My actual first trip was not with the Auckland group, but with the Wellington Caving Group. (When I had flown down back in May to scope out this whole New Zealand idea, I had met and stayed with Bob and Pru Wellington of the WCG. They had very graciously kept in touch, and invited me to join their trip.)

So, last weekend I hitched a ride down to Waitoru Station with John Robson, another WCG member currently living in Auckland, where we joined the others who had travelled up from Wellington. Waitoru Station is a giant sheep and cattle station, just south of Piopio, with rolling hills over endless karst (ancient limestone) full of caves carved by flowing water.

The short version is that I spent a couple days in an absolutely beautiful location on a weekend with stunning weather, a sunset that made the sky look like it was on fire, a dark night sky showing the stars clearer than I’ve seen in years (and my first clear view of the Southern Cross), meeting some great people, and oh yes, crawling around underground! Saturday we scouted a couple caves, finding Mondays, and possibly Meinhohl, then walked through the enormous ancient Manawhara Cavern. Sunday was my first true wet caving experience, when we did thru-trips of Nirvana and Maui. Lots of “pretties” - straws, stalagmites, stalactites, and draperies - especially in Maui.

Here’s my full story:

Left Auckland Friday evening after work, driving ~2-1/2 hours to the Waitomo area with John Robson. Got to Waitoru Station ~10:30 p.m. Staying in the sheep shearing shed - large open space, kitchenette, and bugs hopping on your head. Went out to star-watch for awhile - stunning! Milky Way, Southern Cross, Orion.

In attendance:
Bob and Pru Wellington
Michael Wood
Brian Bowell (from the Hamilton group)
Gavin Holden
Michael Coburn
Jennifer Roberts
Barry Cullen
Robert Sowerbutts
John Robson
Rick Gould

Eventually got going the next day: Michael W. driving, Bob and Pru, Gavin, me. Incredible property - roads winding up and down, sheep and cattle and karst. The rest of the group went mountain biking to scope out a route for the New Zealand Speleological Society’s Annual General Meeting in October which the WCG is hosting.

Looked for the entrance to Mondays cave - think we found it. Crawled along a bit, then narrow slot down low going on with water - I went along to check it out - a couple 90-degree turns and it narrowed down more. Bob checked it out as well, and we decided to head back out. (Perhaps a petite caver could go further?!) Looking at the map later, there was apparently a passage on from where the slot branched off, but hiding behind or above a block perhaps.

Notable - cave wetas, big black spiders (spawn of Shelob!) with super strong sticky webs!

Looked around the valley a bit looking for the entrance to Trespassers cave. Found one possibility, but it was overgrown with blackberries and had wire tossed in it as well.

In the meantime, Pru found another cave entrance, and she and I went in a bit. Crawling passage with a stream seemed to keep going. After a lunch break, we all went in, Bob in the lead, but found the passage narrowed down to nearly impassable. (Again, we need that petite caver!) Later looking at an area map, there was an unmapped cave in the area called “Meinhohl”, which might have been it.

So, two caves, each one possibly going on, given that elusive petite caver!

We drove on to Manawhara Cavern (and walked across a gully, around some rocks, down to the entrance) - A giant cavern, part of an old cave system. Giant breakdown at one end and in the middle. Stunningly huge (like on the order of 30 meters high, 30 meters wide, and 100 meters long???). Michael W. worked on his photographs. Pru and I looked around the far end - I went on until it hooked around and back down below the breakdown - could possibly go on, with - guess what? - a petite caver! I did see a few glowworms on the ceiling though!

Made our way back out and up. Drove back, and Michael W. and I went down for a swim in the river - felt great! I videoed Michael jumping in with his caving overalls on for him.

Got stuff washed up, BBQ for dinner. The guys who manage the station joined us for drinks. I went out for a walk at sunset - absolutely fantastic, beautiful, stunning - the sky was on fire for awhile! Very calm being out there in the growing night - fields, sheep, crickets, karst, and a stream flowing by. Fantastic.

The next day, while Bob and Pru took the station crew through Nirvana and Maui and Michael worked on his photography at the lower end of Nirvana, the rest of us got started ahead of them for thru-trips of Nirvana and Maui as well.

John, Michael C., Brian, Gavin, Jen, Barry, Robert, and I caravanned in three cars to the ridge above Nirvana. We followed the sheep down to what turned out to be the middle entrance of Nirvana. Several of us headed through to the upper entrance, enjoying the pretties along the way, including a spectacular arched drapery, and a ceiling full of straws and small stalagtites. We all went up and out the upper entrance to take a look, then Jen, Michael and I went back down through the cave, while the others went overland back to the middle entrance. We met Bob and Pru and company back at the pretties on our way back through. We joined our group at the junction, and carried on.

Towards the lower end, we met up with Michael W., who had come in through the lower entrance to do some photography.

After coming out, took a break for lunch, dried out our feet for a bit, then up to the road and back to the cars.

We drove on to the ridge above Maui. Walked up, around, and down the track, and down into a “bowl” to the entrance. I went in and waited on a bit of “beach” around the corner to let my eyes adjust (and enjoy just “being” in a cave for a few moments). Actually had some time waiting, as someone was having carbide problems.

First went up into the “Hook of Maui” - over some large breakdown and up a steep mud slope with footholds cut in (by a person with _long_ legs…). Beautiful little room, one end solid with straws and stalagmites and stalactites.

Coming back out, we crossed paths at the junction with Bob and Pru and company just arriving there. We carried on, while they went up the “Hook”.

Here was where we first descended into the water, which was most of the rest of the cave - from foot-high to neck-high water - following the stream on down. Occasional spots with a bit of beach where (for some unknown reason) people would empty their gum boots - before plunging back in around the corner! My first “wet” cave - I was comfortable - until my first neck-high cold water with ceiling just above my head! At one point, the water had cut a narrow slot, which grew deeper and wider beneath our feet, requiring a bit of chimney climb down at the end, back into the water.

One long stretch had flow stone and stalactites along the side.

We had been told about the “swim” at the end, and brought flotation to use accordingly (wine bladder, dry bag…). Never got to “inflate” my flotation, as we had plunged right ahead as a group without realizing it was the swim at the end! It was deep, where I had to swim for a few meters, but OK. Jen told me later the trick is to float on your back, gum boots out in front.

Out the bottom, short break, then straight up, over the (electrified) fence, back to the cars. Washed-up, dinner, then John and I headed back north to Auckland. Others were staying until the next day, before making the trek back south to Wellington.

My thanks to Bob and Pru for inviting me, to John for letting me share the ride, and to Gavin for being patient while stuck behind me while I dug out my camera so many times! (I suppose Bob gave you instructions to tail me, to keep an eye on this newbie American caver?!)

With Sarah back at Reed, and Cindy off visiting her family in Gig Harbor for a couple weeks, Max and I were baching it (…and I don’t mean hanging out at a bach at the beach!). I of course was busy at work during the week. Max was spending time getting ready for school to start, reading (the “Silmarillion” by J.R.R. Tolkein), and creating a world and associated language (and even a computer font!) for his next Dungeons and Dragons (”D&D”) campaign.

We got our bicycles ready (after being stuck in a container for months), and I rode with Max to his D&D game at a friends house, then rode back later to come home with him. I was able to start back to commuting by bike (~20-25 minutes each way), which I really enjoy - get some exercise, save on gas, and feel re-energized both in the morning and after I get home. Max went out for bike rides exploring the area, and now is riding to school each day.

I got my kayak ready (also after being stuck in a container for months), we rented a kayak for Max, and went out one afternoon. It was pretty windy, so we slogged through the waves for about an hour-and-a-half before calling it a day for our shakedown cruise.

We did our usual Tuesday night at Laserforce, and also tried another laser tag place.

We watched a hilarious look at D&D players in “The Gamers“, where the film alternates between the college students rolling dice in a dorm room, to live action where their “characters” are in the “real” world. I loved the thief who rolled high enough to successfully steal the pants off a guy at the bar, and how the character for a player who was absent was always standing off to the side. And of course the coed who would come yell at the geeks to shut the f*** up as she was trying to study. (Guess who the princess was who they were trying to rescue in their campaign?!). And a great surprise ending!

In watching the extras on the DVD, we found out that it was produced around the Pacific Northwest, and even credited a couple SCA groups that Cindy and I used to play in (The Kingdom of An Tir, and The Barony of Blatha An Oir in Tacoma)! We didn’t recognize anyone in the film, but did recognize some of the old WWI bunkers like at Fort Worden.

I took Max in to get registered for classes at school, and pick up his uniform. I also took him shopping for school sandals (must be brown or black leather) and shoes (must be black leather) for the first and last time - Max takes after my brother, in that he likes to wear nice clothes, and is very particular about what he buys, where I’m more traditional beach bum t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet where possible! So where my approach to shopping is as little as possible, get in and get out, Max needed a couple hours to find sandals that were just right… Next time, he goes with Cindy or on his own!

Max really surprised me a couple nights after work, by having not only cooked dinner, but also having the table all set as well! (Of course, I managed to be late getting home from work those nights, which he may never forgive me for!)

One task I wanted to get done before Cindy got back was to really be unpacked and set up. So, I got the garage all organized (camping, bicycling, caving stuff, tools, etc.), all my software books and files unpacked and shelved, built stands for my kayak, set up all the computer and office stuff, and got all the electrical stuff organized. (I brought four transformers for the 120V stuff we brought - small TV and DVD/VCR for our movies, CD player for music, a couple kitchen appliances, a few lamps, all the computer stuff and chargers, Max’s fan and clock radio.)

The other task to tackle was to get everything cleaned up (no, not from the wild parties) before Cindy got home - just to remind her what a nice, thoughtful guy I am! - So, while Max cleaned up his stuff, I spent the day cleaning the car, patio, floors, windows, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry… Don’t let anyone ever downplay the work required to run and maintain a household!

It was great to go pick up Cindy at the airport on her return - my bride, my partner, mi amore!