Fuel up

After a couple of nights at Cascade Creek it was time to head even further south. We headed for Te Anau where we replenished our diesel and water supplies.  Another nine litres of water from the local free drinking tap.  We used the clean amenities that flush and off again.

Colourful bridges

Our first trek was Rainbow Reach Bridge over the Waiau River. The first thing that caught our attention was the amount of danger signs either side of the old rickety suspension bridge on the Kepler Track. 

The suspense is too much

Frodo was here

Just quarter of a mile up steam from the bridge there is a hidden viewpoint looking down on where Frodo and his companions paddled their eleven canoes/boats from here after departing Lothlorian in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Eating Pearls

Our next destination was Manapouri and in particular Pearl Harbour.  This is where the boats launch, not where the US Navy was attacked by the Japanese Navy. The tour boats that take an endless stream of people around the sounds of Fjordland. Not much there, so we did a u- turn and looked for a lunch spot.

We ate lunch on the hill overlooking Frasers Beach.  This was part of the Manapouri Lake and was New Zealanders biggest fight to date to save the environment.  Basically, they took on the multinational corporations and government who were turning lakes and rivers into parts of the hydro electric setup, reducing the size of the lakes, killing all the marine life and the surrounding area.  This, some might argue, was the beginning of New Zealand’s changing attitude towards the land and the role the indigenous people had in maintaining the balance of nature.   Many countries could learn from New Zealand, as they now have the belief that everyone should enjoy the beauty of the land without being ripped off.  Most car parks and  natural attractions are free.  They have freedom parking around much of the country except areas where this would have a negative environmental impact.  In other countries around the world our trip would have been financially impossible to do what we have done,  see what we have seen, and enjoy what we have enjoyed. 

Park n Lark

Full of strength and new determination we drove down the hillside and parked on the beach.  Attempt number two of the tic-toc craze.

There were a couple of other viewpoints on the way back, but not even close to our next destination.

Cavernicolous – adj: cave dwellers

We had read about some of New Zealand’s caves so decided to go and have a look as they were just off our main route down country.  We pulled up and watched as two men went to have a look.  Two minutes later,  as we were getting out of the Sandd Van, they returned and drove off – maybe it was closed.

We at least wanted to have a look so headed down to the signs.

The signs mentioned all the dangers of the caves, of which there were many. The proper equipment to use, of which we had none. To ensure someone knew you were down there, telling you now and to ensure you had supplies in case you got trapped including food and spare head-torch batteries. The only thing we had on their lists was a head-torch.  It was 3/4 full of charge so off we went down into the caves. 

The first chamber still had a little natural light,  a few tight squeezes but it was doable.  I guess this is as far as the two guys got as you had to squeeze tightly through some rocks sideways and work your way down about 8ft.

Then it was on hands and knees to go through a jagged tunnel to the next chamber.  Should we turn back was what we discussed.  Then we heard talking being us, with what sounded like a party of young teenage children.  Oh well, if they are doing it so were we.  

We carefully manoeuvred ourself through the rocks, tunnels, drops and turns wishing we had lost a few pounds on the trip. The voices from behind were closing in on us, so in the next chamber we let them pass by us.  They were not a group of school kids, but four women aged between nineteen and forty at a guess.  One of them struggled down the next descent but we still decided to follow.  There were so many natural pitfalls and obstacles to contend with, from the sharp rocks to the sheer drops.

Often crawling on hands and knees or sideways shuffling through these very tight gaps the mind was filled with the thought of ‘please don’t get stuck’ and ‘torch don’t fail us now’. Of course we still had time to take some photos and video shoots. The distant voice of the ladies gently faded away until we were back in total silence. 

Like many of the trails we have been on there were reflective arrows pointing the way. Fully grateful for this, we soldiered on.  By now we were wet and cold. The further down the cave we went the colder it got.  We had noticed the ladies were carrying dry-bags and all had torches etc. Though like us they didn’t have the advised helmets.

As we squirmed through, over and under the next series of challenges we realised why they had the dry-bags.  We had arrived at what could only be described as a dark deep circular pool approximately 20ft x 20ft.   Surrounding the pool were slippery walls with very few places to grip onto. 

We contemplated turning and going back but this would have been a much tougher journey climbing the slippery crevices.  From nowhere a light appeared in the corridor behind us and Dutch gentleman, about six foot four emerged.  He also was baffled about how to get across.  He did however have a waterproof sealed bag for his phone.  Our dry-bags, that we have taken almost everywhere due to the constant rain, were of course safely locked in the Sannd Van.  When we explained the four ladies had obviously made it, he attempted to go around the submerged sloping ridge I showed him.  With some skilful manoeuvring he was across.  He continued on his way while we weighed up all our two options. We had come this far and were fully determined, so off we set again. 

Clinging on for dear life to any nook or cranny that presented itself, we edged slowly and cautiously around the cavern.  By this time we were already waist deep in freezing cold water.  The smartest thing we had done was shorten the straps on our shoulder bags,  so they at least weren’t getting wet.  No idea what we would do if we lost our phones and contact with the world, if and once we were out.  By this time we had been underground for nearly an hour. 

Suddenly Sarah shouted out ‘I’m going in’ as she fell backwards into the abyss Adrenaline took over me and I grabbed her just before she was fully submerged in the water.  With all my might I pulled her back to safety.  She explained that her feet had slipped on the ice-like shelf below.  She had a horrible feeling that was it, nothing she could do to prevent the inevitable.  Rescued from the ordeal, we took a second to recompose.  Then still waist high in the pool we carefully made are way around the edge to the next tunnel. 

Things weren’t going to get easier, as there were a couple of more small chambers we just had to wade through in a foot of water to move along.  Turning a corner we were greeted with a four metre ladder going upwards to another chamber.  The only problem was at least half a metre of it was underwater.  Sarah eventually got on the ladder with a little help and climbed up to the next point.  Shining the torch back down she directed me up. 

Hooray, we were heading upwards.  What?!  After a few more twists and turns there was another ladder.  This one unfortunately was heading back down, surely not.  We had been in the caves for over an hour so had to follow the arrows.  The good thing is those going in our direction were white,  the occasional ones going the other way were yellow, so we followed the white.  Once through the next lower cavern, we were definitely going upwards.  Slippery natural upwards-steps and climbing over boulders was a good sign.  A third, four meter ladder presented itself.  This one took us up even higher.  We scrambled through bends,  under huge rock formations and along narrow corridors, all the time heading upwards.  A good sign was that the ground was beginning to get even more slippery as often we would be wading through mud rather than over rocks.  With no indication at all we turned a corner and up in the northwest of the cave was daylight.  A final push with our exhausted bodies saw us climb this last twenty metres and out of the hole. 

A welcomed sight of some cows in the field opposite, looking totally perplexed as to them we must have looked like a couple of ‘jack in the boxes’ popping up, not that they would know what a jack-in- the-box was. 

Shoe River

Once more,  the boots were taken off and emptied of their water contents when we reached the van.  That was an expedition and a half.  We would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with the right equipment.

Shark Bite

Safe and sound and back in the van.  We were doing no more crazy stops until our next destination. An hour’s drive and we find ourselves pulling into the farm track with the green letterbox.  We are at Sarah’s nephew’s digs.  He hasn’t arrived yet so we have full permission to shower, shave and freshen up. 

Fifteen minutes later and Ben is with us. We’ve not seen him since he moved across to the side of the world seven months prior.  We had a good catch up and he said the magic words,  ‘why don’t you stay inside the house tonight’ as he was staying elsewhere.  We even managed to do our washing before going off with Ben to see his girlfriend and her little lad.

We picked up fish n chips to eat at hers.  Apparently the basic fish and chips is shark n chips.  After coming close in Oz, this is the kind of shark bite we can handle.

We meet Kaitlin and Carter and spent the evening with them.  Carter kept me entertained while Sarah and Kaitlin got properly acquainted, and Ben and Sarah caught up. As we were staying in the area a couple of days plans were made.

Ben dropped us back at the farmhouse so we hung out our clothes and dried our sodden shoes and socks before some cards.