Back to the caving place. While the quick trip was pretty much all tubing, this one starts with a huge great abseil and ends climbing up water falls, with a kilometre or so underwater.
When I was about 11 there was an abseiling do on a scout trip. Just walk off the edge of the cliff says the scout master, it'll be fine, but I can't bring myself to do it. That step into the unknown. Brrrr.
Fortunately this place actually knows how to teach. Ropes on a slope for several trips, each time adding a bit more, then, OMG, there I am lowering myself into a deep dark hole, and it feels easy. Natural.
After that, crawls and squeezes, leaping of a cliff, zip lines, waterfalls, glow worms and the works. Kind of cold, despite two layers of wet suit, but splendid. One girl, a nurse from Lincoln I think, becomes extremely upset because there's an eel in a pool we need to travel through. Quite what she thinks it will do to her is a mystery.
I still think cave diving's for nutters.
After that a quick walk through the woods, and drive on up to Auckland. Stop off in a motel, one down from the deserted place from the first night. Pretty decrepit mind you, but it does all it needs to.
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