Raglan and Waitomo Caves

Hi again!


I'm trying to keep up with all my adventures now! I've done something every weekend that I've been here, so it's been tough to find time to write about all my experiences. But here we go!


Last weekend Susan and I drove to a quiet little beach town called Raglan on the west coast:

                 RAGLAN                               HAMILTON

Here are some photos of our nice walk along the beach in the harbour and out to the corner:

Raglan beach

A sunken building of some sort

Shells!

Mussels on a post

Walking around the point (with Susan)

The point

Me at the point!

Susan and I :)

West coast iron sand

Iron sand stuck to my hand

Then we walked back into town and did some shopping at the little local arts and crafts shops - really nice stuff there! Oh, and before our walk on the beach we had some yummy brunch at a local cafe (Susan had clam chowder, and I had bacon and eggs with tomatoes).  We walked around to see the other side of the harbour, which first required a walk down the airplane landing strip...

Landing Strip

Little one-man airplane!

A neat beach house

The harbour

A factory building turned posh apartments

Journey's End

A Waxeye bird at Susan's house

The NEXT day:


Susan and I went to Waitomo Caves, which is located south of Hamilton hidden in the countryside

Hamilton (north) to Waitomo Caves (south)

Susan and I did a 45 minute guided walk through the famous Waitomo caves where we got to look at hundreds of glow worms on the ceiling. At the end of the tour, the guide took everyone in a big metal boat, and we all drifted through an underground stream looking up at a constellation of "stars".  Unfortunately they do not allow cameras in the caves, so here are some pictures from the outside:

Waiting area at Waitomo Caves

Maori totem pole

Entrance to Waitomo Caves

After the boat ride at Waitomo Caves

The river

Lunch!

Following a short lunch at Waitomo Caves cafe, Susan drove me back down the road 2km so I could do BLACK WATER RAFTING! Black water rafting is a calmer version of white water rafting, underground in dark caves in cold water... Here are some photos taken by guides Pip and Scuba on the Black Labyrinth tour through Raukuri Caves:

A classic group jump shot...Karen is the weird one in the front

Show me yer bums!

Scuba shows us the proper way to land in your inner tube

Testing out the Eel

Getting ready to enter the cave

Entering the cave

Karen's first backwards jump into her inner tube

First group picture in Raukuri Caves (Karen far right)

First waterfall jump

Conquerers of the waterfall (Karen with her light on...)

Entering under the "low ceiling"

Scuba under the ceiling

Pip's in charge!

Everyone survived!!!

And that concludes last weekend's adventures to Raglan and Waitomo/Raukuri Caves!


Stay tuned for New Zealand's Netball game, and a weekend visit to Whangamata (F(ah)ng-ah-mah-tah) beach :D


See you all soooon!


Karen Trotter