Waitomo caves on 03.02.2009

On 3rd February i had an incredible adventure: to go caving in Waitomo caves, approximately 2 hours from Auckland city. Definitely one of the most experiences i've ever had.

The adventure started around 11am, when we were driven to the middle of nowhere. We just went by a bus through farmlands, very private and quiet places, hundreds cows spending their days on the fields, and no one of us could never ever think what was there inside the ground where we were driving on.

The funniest part was to put on wetsuits, rain boots and a hammer, also lots of equipment like ropes and belaying pins and to walk some hundred meters in summer heat over fields to the place where the inside wonderland started.

First look down was amazing. It was a hundred meters deep cave and we were starting to go down there on ropes, belayed tightly. It was awesome.. hard to find words to describe.

Reached down there, had a quick lunch. Probably the most exciting lunch one might ever have.

And then to the water! The water in the bottom of the caves was around 12 degrees, i guess. And you know what - there are eels in this water, which eat sheep and cows (who have been unluckily fallen down to the cave) and they are sometimes 50 kg-s big!! Oh no, when i later got to know about it... i just thanked God that i didn't understand there in the caves what the tour guide was telling us. Terrible! And i can imagine the eels actually were there in the water, just i did not know that and couldn't also see as it was really dark there.

Our way in the bottom of the caves went on, we got through some really narrow points and jumped down to the water from 5m height, having no idea what was going to happen with us after the jump.

It was all so exciting, all those 6-7 hours in the caves and total darkness.

Definitely one of those must do things in New Zealand! Some more information you can find here.