Into the bowels of the EARTH!

After a much better sleep, we arose to the sound of active tui birds, flying everywhere, darting, fighting, and singing loudly. We brushed the tent off and headed to the first of today's adventures. After getting lost trying to find which tour agency was the one we booked, we settled into some lunch at a cafe while we waited for our tour to begin. Something both Tom and I learned quickly is that in New Zealand, a milk shake means just that, frothed up milk. Even a "thick" shake is hardly thick. When our tour bus pulled up to take the 15 odd people on the tour, we were greeted by our charismatic tour guide, Zane. This wonderful man had clearly been doing this job, and caving in general for a long time, and his puns and quirky nature made this trip one that will be hard to forget. We zoomed in our bus from the cafe to the cave area, which was one of many entrances that riddled the Waitomo area. For most of the time, I left the flash off and used what little light was provided by the interior lights and a few torches among the group. The beginning stated with a great stairwell that I will show you at the end, winding down the sides of the first part of the chasm. We went through a door leading into a long cylindrical tunnel with another door at the other end to maintain the environment of the cave. Images of the decreasing hallway from Charlie and the Chocolate factory came to mind while Zane, engaging the younger audience, waited for a magic word that would open the door. Now we were truly in the cave, with concrete giving way to limestone carved out by volcanic action and to a greater degree, water. The entire cave owes it's creation mostly to water, including the geologic formations that Zane explained so well. The dissolution of limestone to later be re-crystallized within the cave passages into such beautiful formations as cave coral, flowstone, veilstones, stalagmites, stalactites, and columns. Zane put in simple terms how each was created as well as a few others that referred to the cave openings as well.

The whole tour system was cleverly laid out as a series of automated lights, switches, and doors that maintained the environment and preserved the structures, while at the same time framing these wonders so as to maximize the experience for us novice spelunkers. Lights lit up passageways that we could not venture, as we continued further into the earth in search of glow worms.

At the middle of the tour, we encountered the glow worms, up close and person. Not actually worms, but the maggots of flies, they create sticky strings that hang from the ceiling and attract the newly hatched flies of water dwelling species that have emerged in the caves. They do this with bioluminescence, a chemical reaction that gives off light as a bi-product. Zane showed us some of the delicate strands and explained how they live to eat until they metamorphose and mate for 24 hours, after which, dying. He then turned out the lights so we could see the glow worms on the ceiling, not as many as in the larger caves, but brilliant just the same.

No, they are not stars, those are bugs. But just as the glow worms rely on water for life, so too does the cave itself. Water destroys and creates the beautiful cave structures. In several spots it could be seen running through the cave, even to the point where some tubers were drifting down through some deep rapids. 

Zane also explained where the limestone came from. It is built in layers in many areas where there are few formations growing off the walls. These layers are from ancient sea beds where calcified sediment was compacted and buried over time. This was further supported by the large scallop fossils he pointed out to us.

As the tour and jokes continued, Zane had the young ones pushing buttons to turn lights off and on, telling them to avoid the red button, as it released the giant golf ball as in Indiana Jones. He stopped at a great picture spot and took a few pictures for people, which we of course took advantage of. A photo opportunity 75 metres below the ground.

We stopped at one last really good ceiling filled with stalactites on our way out, it was by far the most spectacular of them all, and to think that it takes approximately 100 years for them to add 1 cubic centimetre. Zane also explained the significance of the cave to the Maori people, in that it was once an ancient burial and sacred place for one of the local tribes. There were also some issues which I did not catch all of, over the ownership of the caves, with differences in laws over owning the land above and whether they also owned the land below. Luckily the cave has been preserved so that countless generations can enjoy the wonders such as we saw.

As the tour came to a close, Zane first took us into a tunnel to show us something special, and after turning out all the lights, he proclaimed, "this is what the cave looks like when no one is here". After a good laugh, we headed back into the light and Zane lit up the stairwell ascending to the exit, the one we had traversed to enter the cave. The view of the stairwell, although man-made, was very thrilling to see, with the lit sides and the symbolic rock in the centre, being hit by water dropping from the ceiling. Zane mentioned it also made for some great acoustics as we took pictures, and started singing his own rendition of Celine Dion's "my heart will go on" using caving terms. He may possibly have spent a bit too much time underground, but his passion only added to the experience. We entered daylight and bused back to the cafe, where we said a thanks to our stupendous guide before heading to our next stop, to the heart of middle-earth!

"One does not simply walk into Mordor"

Well, it turns out Boromir was wrong, you can simply walk into Mordor. The afternoon of the first day of new years was spent in good company traversing up to the base of Mount Ngauruhoe, otherwise known in the movie, the Lord of the Rings, as Mount Doom, the ending point for the book series where Frodo casts the ring back into the fires of the volcano. Our journey was not fraught with the same dangers as we expected, however, at the beginning of the trek, enjoying the fine views, we did notice a sign which might have been of some use to adventuring hobbits.

Not heeding the danger, but remaining aware of it, we traversed the course gravel road over hills and through grasslands that led into the perilous mountains. The trail was indeed rugged but manageable. The same could not be said for the hillside which were covered in eroding rocks which we were warned could pose a danger, and thus admired them from afar. Aside from a bit of solar irradiation, the weather was nice; a light breeze with cool mountain air to try and take the edge off from all heating. At this point it was far from the moonscape I expected of an active volcano, with numerous plants in a very prolific grassland. We didn't know exactly how far we were going, or how long we would be, but that is how most good adventures are.

The ground beneath us became increasingly covered in rocks of volcanic origin, including the ever so light pumice with which Tom and I had a rock fight, tossing a few sizable chunks at point blank range that had they been just about any other type of rock would have been felt, but instead bounced off harmlessly to our amusement. The great volcano grew larger as we continued and the path grew increasingly rugged. There was a quiet beauty to this landscape which in the past had been an area of death and destruction. Chunks of volcanic rocks sit as stoic reminders of that destruction while along the path a gentle stream bubbles over rock, providing a lush green zone, a slice of paradise in an increasingly barren landscape. Even this however, reminded us of the powerful force of nature looming over top of us, as the water was mildly sulfuric.

A bit more than halfway up we stopped for lunch by the stream, close to a hillside that was part of the mountain range. Like a scene straight out of the movie we watched the ridge line for signs of orcs while we took advantage of the clouds having moved away from the summit of the mountain. Due to the clouds persistence around the summit, this was the best pictures we could take which had the whole mountain in it. It seemed as though every other time we tried to get some shots, the mountain would catch another cloud, like branch catching your sweater, hanging on until either the sweater loosened or tore. Tom was super stoked to be hiking the most dangerous mountain in all of middle earth!

The plant life was beautiful, and one of the most interesting features was the incredibly short shrubs, like bonsai trees, stunted in growth by climate. These dotted the path but diminished as we approached the base of the mountain.

It was very clear that the guide wasn't kidding when he said it got very dangerous beyond the base. Already close to 2 km above sea level. The vegetation had almost ceased. The mountainside near Mount Doom was quiet but evidence of it's violent activity was clear. Black river beds where lava had poured down the mountainside were now frozen in time, scaring a great deal of the mountain. The volcanic chunks were becoming monolithic as they mounded on top of one another. Although we were all glad to have not been there at the time, it would have been a spectacular site to see when the volcano had erupted.

We also learned an important lesson at this point, which was to never trust an outhouse built on rock in the mountains, especially one on a trail that can be frequented easily by large numbers of tourists! Pheww! Anyway, there was one more hidden gem at the end of the trail, an area known as Soda Springs. This was like an oasis in the dessert, a small falls that was the visible beginning of the little stream that followed us along the track. Being significantly upstream it was also ripe with the smell of sulfur, but was home to some beautiful lush greenery and some gorgeous mountain flowers.

After a very quick bathroom break, we wandered down the mountainside, finishing off what water we had in the now hot environment, looking back for the chance of getting a shot of the mountain without a cloud and for any marauding orcs that might be lying in wait. Frankly I don't know what all the fuss was about, Tom and I could have taken care of it in a day, but then again, that wouldn't have made for a very exciting movie. Anyway, we said good bye to Mount Doom, our 10.2 kilometer hike, and hopped in the car. We drove to our next spot in Pureora Forest Park where we set up camp, ate, had a nice chat while waiting for the rain to stop, and went to sleep. Conquering a volcano on our first day in the year 2014. The next day would be full of more adventures, but until then we reminisced on the sights of the day, including this nice stop on the way to the camp site.

New Years Day

After a rather chilly sleep, we emerged from the tent to prepare for a new day in the new year! We packed up as an ever creeping ray of sun tracked it's way across the campground to our tent at a painfully slow pace. With a bowl of oatmeal in our bellies and a warm shower to refresh us, we headed out for an exploration of the Tongariro National Park. The drive started out with a nice view of the hillside once again smoking into the morning air and in the distance our first real good look at our afternoon activity, the volcano known as Mount Ngauruhoe. 

The area around these mountains was patchy forest and lot of open plains, leaving great views of the mountain range. We were able to drive quite far up the next volcano, known as Mount Ruapehu, a local ski location. This was the closest thing to snow we would be seeing this Christmas, if you don't count the frost in the back of the fridge. The ski resort area had lodges which in winter probably fit in quite nicely but during the summer, appeared as stranded ships upon the barren volcanic rock.

The scenes looking out however were breathtaking, being at eye level with many of the clouds as they drifted over distant lands. Enormous chunks of volcanic debris and old lava tubes dotted the countryside and meandered along paths on the hillside.

But even in this treeless place, life clings to the mountainside in every nook and cranny, small flowers, low growing shrubs, and lichens. Alpine species vying for space among the rocks, wherever they could find it.

A great start to first day in the new year, despite the cold beginning and after enjoying a snack and soaking up the fresh but thin air, we headed back down and drove to the next volcano which would consume our entire afternoon.

Tom arrives and the journey begins!

Bright and early on Monday morning Tom arrived after the most horrendous layover in China, some 23 hours long! Anyway, he arrived safely and we settled in to have a low key day. The main attraction of the first day was the Christmas dinner. Mary-Ellen slaved away in the kitchen to create a delicious roast chicken, home made stuffing, vegetables, potatoes, and the piece-de-resistance, a homemade apple pie which was promptly finished off the next morning. It was a positively delicious meal, that after consuming enough to keep us full most of the night, we took off to the local theatre to view "The Hobbit" in New Zealand, thus crossing off the first thing on the list, see a lord of the rings movie in the very heart of middle-earth. Not confident that Auckland is that heart, but still in New Zealand. Tired, we managed to get through a few games of Skip-bo before heading to a much need

ed sleep.

The next morning we arose, woke up snoring beauty from the futon and packed up for the excursion that would take us to a few of our first New Zealand attractions. We headed south towards a mountain range located in the Tangariro National Park. We stopped in Hamilton so that Tom could get a taste of a real hamburger at Burger Fuel. Our next big stop was lake Taupo, the ancient volcanic crater filled with water and the largest lake in New Zealand. We tried to stop frequently to let Tom stretch his legs since he spent more than enough time squashed in an airplane seat. One of the more notable pit-stops, the lookout on lake Taupo gave us some spectacular views of water, sky, land, and the mountains that bridged the gap between the heavens and earth.

  After some ridiculous photo shoots, we moved on into the mountains. We had some very clear signs that we were on the right path when there was visible steam coming out of the mountain side. Billowing up and spilling out of cracks in the ground, wisping around rocks and into the air. Our first glimpse at the geothermal activity that continues to occur in this area.

We said goodbye to the smoking mountainsides and continued onward in the diminishing light to locate our "basecamp". Tired and hungry we pulled into a holiday park (campground for those in North America), and set up for a well needed rest. We put up the tent, started our supper of pasta, and pulled on some warmer clothes. The higher altitude brought some colder evening weather and while we were working hard, the flat visitors were slacking off! These were part of a grade 3 school project on Geography that Mary-Ellen and agreed to help on by taking them around the world with her and then mailing them home!

After supper, there was still a bit too much light, being summer here, so we ventured out on a walk to see if there was anything nearby worth checking out. We didn't go too far, just across the highway where an old path, possibly for logging, was starting to grow over so we took a walk down. Much to our delight, there was a bit of running water that meandered past providing lush fern growth and a few wildflowers, still open in the fading light.

After the walk we prepared ourselves for some sleep, as we had a big day planned for the first day of 2014. Tom and I stayed up, probably not till midnight, we watched the last light of day fade over the treeline and the stars emerge despite the bright light from one of the cabins.

Not a bad end to a long year, ushering in a year that is bound to be full of wonderful new adventures and discoveries, some of which were to be made in the next few days. Mary-Ellen and I have a lot to post so it will take a while. Bare with us as we try to get it all up. Stay tuned!