The Road Less Traveled

What’s with all the caving anyway? I decided that of all the opportunities for activities down here, caving is the one that we don’t have too much of around the Northwest. Also, Sarah is a willing caving partner, whereas for some reason Cindy and Max don’t like crawling around in the mud and water underground! (I can’t imaging why!) So, while the kayak has been sitting neglected since Coastbusters, and before Sarah headed back to college, we fit in one more trip, this time to Puriri Cave near Port Waikato with the Auckland Speleo Group.

It had been raining heavily, and the rivers were swollen and flooding. We had quite a scramble up a muddy slope and cross-country to the cave entrance. I asked about the stream level in the cave, but “no worries”, you don’t have to worry about that in most North Island caves. We had about fifteen people, so we split into a few groups, and spaced-out our entering. It was a fairly typical stream passage cave, with a couple of side passages to explore. Sarah and I had both woken up at the wrong point in our sleep cycles, and had been quite tired and groggy all day. After a lunch break, we had reached a point in the cave with a 20′ down-climb, which neither of us were too excited about. While we rested, some people had gone on ahead. Just as we were deciding to give it a go and carry on, word came back up that the water was too high further on. So, Sarah and I were saved having to face the down-climb just in the nick of time!

But then as we started back out, what had been a flowing stream was now quite a torrent! Instead of knee-high, it was waist-high and quite strong! Well, that got our adrenaline going, because we remembered there was a low crawl further on. When we reached that point, the group backed-up while taking turns crawling through the rising water. Sarah and I might have gone in feeling tired and groggy, but by the time we came back out, we were wide awake and thrilled by the cold rushing water and adrenaline!

We tromped back out to the road through the soggy ground, Sarah stopping to corral a tiny baby lamb back to its mother, observing water burbling-up out of the ground, and me sinking to the waist in a swamp crossing to the applause of the group! While the rest of the group went on to another cave, we hitched a ride back with Michael and his son Tommy (thank you!).

Photos are here.

Sarah and I have gone on a couple caving trips recently, and Max joined us as well for a “caving” trip to the old army tunnels at North Head in Devonport.

The May meeting of the Auckland Speleo Group was a caving trip to a lava cave right in the heart of an Auckland residential neighborhood, the entrance of which was right under a house! No wine stored down there, but some good crawling around in nooks and crannies. No glowworms or cave wetas in this cave, but plenty of roots making their way down through the ceiling.
Sarah and I sat near one end with a couple other people for awhile with our lights off - peaceful, dark, quiet - very nice. Later near the entrance people took turns climbing up a wall and slithering through and sliding down a slot-shaped crawl. Photos here.

Then on June 3rd, Sarah and I went caving at Waipu, a couple hours north of Auckland. After waiting for everyone to arrive at the Waipu Tourist Cave parking lot, we drove up into the farm land, got into our gear, then headed off through the grass and gorse trying to find the cave entrance Trevor was looking for. We found one candidate, and started down a hand-line to check it out. It wasn’t the right one, so it was back up and off to find Bouquave instead. This one required an assisted descent to get down into the entrance - It was Sarah’s first time, but she tackled that (first) challenge well! Bouquave was a good crawl in places, including a couple more challenges for Sarah! First was a low narrow squeeze that was mostly in the stream (where I had just seen a ~2 ft. eel!) followed by a climb out. Others in the group were not able or interested in doing the wet squeeze, so while they retraced their way to where we had entered, Sarah, Trevor, and I made our way forwards to a climb-out exit I had scouted out. The cave did go on further, but lowered down to another wet crawl. Also, a sheep must have fallen in and died at some point, as the smell around this point was pretty retched! Time for fresh air. So, Sarah’s third challenge was a bit of a climb up and out, which Trevor made easier with a hand-line. We made our way above ground back to the entrance just in time to greet the others making their climbs back out.

From there, we headed back down to the Tourist Cave and lunch. As people finished eating, they made their way into the cave. This one has a large, walk-in opening to a large area where the stream flows through. Just around the corner from the entrance was the most awesome display of glowworms! The entire ceiling was lit up like the stars in a dark sky! Really incredible! Unsure of the way on, Sarah and I waited for Trevor, who showed us the way up-and-over, rather than down and through the stream. We spent the next hour or so all crawling around different passages and running back into each other. A tangle of passages and breakdown all at one end. On our way back out, Trevor showed us a slide-down tube, which I admit to have been too chicken to try, then we admired the glowworms again, and took a bunch of photos in the entrance cavern area. Trevor also showed us the wet-exit option, which we’ll save for a hot summers day! After coming out, Greg was doing a bit of target shooting with his .22, and he convinced Sarah to “give it a shot” as well. Check out the photos here.

Then came the “caving” trip at North Head in Devonport. The fortifications there were built starting in the late 1800’s to provide coastal/harbour defences for Auckland, very like the fortifications at Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, and Fort Casey in Washington State that were built to protect the entrance to Puget Sound. The North Head fortifications include the large shore batteries, and various tunnels that were presumably for ammunition and accessing the guns from protected positions. The tunnels also connect with a couple bits of “cave” that open out on the hillside. Photos here.

One of the fun things about New Zealand is meeting people from all over the world. There was a contingent of Russians on the Auckland trip. Sarah, with only a year of college Russian under her belt, was a bit shy about practicing with them. But when some of them also came along on the Waipu and North Head trips, she managed a few words of conversation!

(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?!)