3 day cave, day 3

We wake at a more respectable time shortly after 6, so decide to get going. The plan is to check out a helictite grotto nearby. Coffee & dry muesli fuels us and the pack up is done quickly. I had recently purchased a larger cave pack from Access Gear, run by Pete, a keen caver/ canyoner. It is no longer looking new but I’m glad of the 36litres.

Day 3

We wake at a more respectable time shortly after 6, so decide to get going. The plan is to check out a helictite grotto nearby. Coffee & dry muesli fuels us and the pack up is done quickly. I had recently purchased a larger cave pack from Access Gear, run by Pete, a keen caver/ canyoner. It is no longer looking new but I’m glad of the 36litres. I’m using all of it for this trip and have brought my bum bag to carry the up gear. Anything you bring into a cave gets a very hard time so needs to be of robust construction. I’m happy that the pack holds up well and my reasonably new overalls do the trick. Many people use cotton but it holds water and wears out more quickly.

Helictite cow

The helictite grotto is spectacular. To protect the walls we take our overalls off and crawl in, you do get up close & personal. Photos are the only way to describe these delicate formations.

Helictite grotto

There are a number of theories as to how they are made, Wikipedia says this; A helictite is a speleothem found in a limestone cave that changes its axis from the vertical at one or more stages during its growth. Helictites have a curving or angular form that looks as if they were grown in zero gravity. They are most likely the result of capillary forces acting on tiny water droplets, a force often strong enough at this scale to defy gravity. Wind, Piezoelectric forces and bacterial forces also being proposed.

More Helictites

We then head back to the abseil and into the stream which has been up and is slightly discoloured, not enough to hinder us. It is about a 30 minute quick walk to the Downstream Exit. I have been this way numerous times in the past as we used to run a trip from another entry point, down an 8m drop and out via this part of the stream. A lot of the way the roof is 10+ m high with the last 10 minutes being in a section that is younger therefore much smaller. This last section is to be avoided in flood as it gets over head height and the water travels at speed. If you were knocked over, foot entrapment becomes a dangerous issue.

As much as I like caving one of my favourite sights is looking out to daylight. Suddenly there is colour framed by cave wall. Green! This exit has the benefit of a thriving colony of cave weta on the roof. Lots of small weta today with a few bigger ones higher up. We hit the Waitomo Stream and follow down to the Ruakuri car park. A bit early for Black Water rafting to have a trip, I had hoped to hitch a ride back to the corner. The walkway back is a pleasant but muddy walk, getting to the hut after 10am for clean-up & a shower.