running to stand still---a kiwi experience: Waitomo

Today we drove for a couple of hours from Rotorua to Waitomo, for one of Bret's last activities he has been excited to do, Waitomo Caves Black Water Rafting. Since Easter, driving south, the weather has gotten cooler, and signs of autumn are definitely in the air. Waitomo (a very small town) was rainy and cold when we arrived, and we had a cozy lunch in the café before our trip departed at 1:30. Waitomo Caves are a series of underground caverns that are internationally famous for their glowworms. We were eager to see these up close and personal, and opted for the closest experience of rafting through the caves, instead of taking a short walk and bridge walk within.

Before we left the base camp, we were outfitted in lots of gear: wetsuits, booties, silly looking gum boots, and headlamp helmets. On top of our wetsuits we wore ridiculously wonky shorts. Peeling the suits on was a cold and uncomfortable experience, and I couldn't wait to warm up. We drove to the park of the caves, and were fitted with rubber-tire inner tubes which would serve as our rafts. Next, in the river outside of the caves, they proceeded to teach us how to properly complete the jumps on the trip. It was a bit daunting at first. They were making an explanation from a 10-foot ledge that dropped into probably less than 2 feet of water. I was nervous we were going to have to do that jump, but luckily we practiced from a shorter distance. The initial shock of hitting the water sent water splashing into my eyes and nose, and surging all around me. The cold was quite a shock as well. Since we accomplished that jump, we hiked off to the caves.

The caves are 65 meters underground, and we found an opening where we climbed down a series of rocky waterfalls to get below. The water underground was even colder, never seeing the light of day. We sat almost completely flat in the inner tubes in a couple of feet of water as we glided under very low ceilings, inches away from our heads (not for the claustrophobic). Our first jump was from a rocky ledge with a waterfall into a pool in the cavern below, with water rushing the entire time. We had to stand on the ledge and make the jump backwards. Luckily, Bret and I both accomplished the first jump (despite some people falling out of their tubes), and we continued the trek through the dark, rocky bottom of the cave (my feet tripping and getting stuck), with the cave ceiling low. Finally we came across the glowworms. We turned out our lamps, and in complete darkness gazed upon tiny pinpoints of green light above us, which apparently many are convinced are tiny fiber optic lights. It totally reminded me of little glow-in-the-dark stars. Our second jump was much larger, and we were forced to jump backwards again, but much further out to avoid hitting a ledge that came out of the waterfall wall a good 8 feet below. I made the jump successfully, but managed to cramp my neck, an instant burst of pain shooting through my body. It subsided as instantly as it came on, and the best part of the trip followed.

Creating 'the eel' out of our inner tubes connected by holding on the person's feet behind us, we turned our lamps out completely again, as the guide pulled our train through a glowing glowworm ceiling. It was incredible. Without working as hard, the cold was definitely settling in, and I could barely feel my hands; they kept bumping and scratching the sharp cave walls! The rest of the trip was a self-guided, find-your-own-way-out-of-the-cave-without-your-headlamp journey, which could be a metaphor to many of our experiences on this kiwi adventure. Bret and I stayed close, paddling through the unknown dark, until finally we reached light. Incredible!

After 2 hours in the cold water, the hot shower, soup, and bagels that were provided were welcome. I fell asleep at 6:30 after cave rafting, and slept soundly through the night!