MID NORTH COAST – 16-17 November 2024
This trip was to an area new to most of us, and we would be surveying some basalt (I think) caves. Keen to use Topo Droid, Jim was enthusiastic, and we drove up to our campsite on Friday evening. The weather wasn’t great, rain, mist and low clouds, but the group were undeterred.
It was a NHVSS club trip with MSS members who could survey invited to attend. When we arrived Garry S and Kier VT had already set up camp and shortly after, Cathi H-H, Rod O and Murray D arrived. The wind was blowing mizzle onto us, despite us sheltering on the verandah of a large shed. Happy hour was a wet event until the manager of the campsite opened the “shed” for us to shelter from the rain. He even offered Jim and me to move our tents into the shed (we declined but rethought that decision on Saturday night when more rain arrived).
We all set off on Saturday morning, keen to get some surveying under our belts.
Looking across to an avocado plantation from the Reserve parking lot. The lichen and growth on the wooden fence gives you an idea of how much rain they get in the area.
Walking down to the creek on a very nice track – it would be 2.5k to the creek we would cross. There had been a massive storm a few days prior to our arrival, so there were a lot of branches and fallen trees that we had to negotiate. We suspected that it was a leech infested forest.
The track has a number of switch-backs that were negotiated.
And a lot of really BIG trees. We also passed a number of trees cut by timber getters (you can tell by the holes cut in the trunks). On the way back there was a great specimen, but unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me, more about that later.
The walk out to the lookout from which you could view the waterfall.
We’re down at the creek now, viewing the waterfall (probably around 60m). We’d done the 2.5k walk in 45 minutes. It was at this time that we did a leech check and found that they were all over us …. yuck!
Crossing the creek, the rocks were extremely slippery, easier on the return trip than crossing this way.
Going up on the other side … no track and treacherous terrain. Apparently there was a “hole” in front of us and Jim was supposed to find it and we’d drop a hand line down from the top. Unfortunately, Jim couldn’t find anything at this level and felt going up was too risky so we gave up on finding that cave (which was the one Jim and I were supposed to survey).
At the base of the cliff, all we needed now was to find cave #2 (to be surveyed by Garry), while Jim and I would search for the other cave from above using a hand-line.
After more than an hour of looking for The Cave, Jim, Murray and I gave up, so we headed over to where Garry and his crew were. In the distance Murray at the entrance. The area is volcanic, not sandstone or limestone, and the caves have been formed by some rifts in the rock and breakdown (when the rocks fall to the bottom and don’t fill the rift). Quite unusual.
Jim and Murray looking down to where we would go. Bit of a down-climb – I needed some help on spotting where I was supposed to put my feet.
This cave didn’t look appealing from the entrance so the three of us reversed and went to find a cave (any cave would do). Garry joined us and spotted a “hole” so we headed down with our gear.
Garry making his way back after pointing out where we could enter without descending a steep slope.
The three of us went to the entrance, along with Garry who showed Murray the way forward. Jim and I spent some time sorting out Topo Droid and then continued the survey. The first 10m was ok, but then I had to slide under a big rock into what can only be described as a pit of bat guano! Not at all where I wanted to hang around taking measurements.
It was at this point that Murray pointed to the way forward and said that the squeeze was too tight for him so he’d go back to the entrance. That left just the 2 of us in the cave.
Still surveying and it was time for me to get out of the pit of guano and through the squeeze. Probably one of the hardest squeezes I’ve done, and the rock sloped away from me so I felt that I was hanging in mid air (and struggling to get through). Took me forever to get down to the bottom where I was safe.
It was at this time that I found 2 ticks in my hair. After the squeeze, my anxiety level was elevated, the ticks sent me over the edge. Instead of waiting to get out and have someone remove them I pulled them out myself (not even sure if I killed them OR got all of the ticks out), but all I could think about was if I left them in, they’d be there for the next two hours!
Eventually Jim made his way over the squeeze and I told him that I didn’t think I’d be able to get through the next squeeze. I’d given it a go and couldn’t get through. By now, my anxiety is off the charts, no way forward and I didn’t want to go back through that other squeeze … the slopy rock was insurmountable.
I came up with the plan that I could move some rocks to make the squeeze a little easier and sent Jim ahead to determine if there were any more squeezes. This image is Jim’s feet as he makes his way through. He reported back that there was just a small climb out and we could exit.
So, I excavated the passageway throwing rocks down into a void, and shimmied through on my side, took a while but all I could think was “thank God” once I got through. It was only 1m of passage, but that was enough to freak me out! We’d stopped surveying I’d had enough, all I wanted was out.
Then I saw the climb! It wasn’t a short climb, I don’t know how Garry climbed up it, it was seriously dodgy. I’d finally reached my limit caving! I called out to see if the others were close by, all I wanted was a rope to get me out. Thankfully, Murray, Cathi and Rod heard my cries for help and (thankfully), Rod had carried in a small ladder so Cathi set up the ladder for me and I was able to climb out safely.
What was Garry thinking having me climb out on this dodgy climb.
The other team had finished their survey so we packed up and retraced out walk in, dodging leeches again on the 2.5k climb (up hill all the way).
Once I’d had a hot shower at the campsite, and checked for more leeches, I felt a lot better. It rained a lot overnight, we decided that we’d see what the weather was like Sunday morning and then make a decision on what we’d do.
We woke to a lovely sunny morning, so, as we hadn’t finished the survey, we suggested to Garry that Jim and I would walk back to the caves with him and Jim and Garry would finish the survey (I sure as hell wouldn’t be helping them!). Everyone else decided that they’d make their way home.
Was a lovely walk down (again checking for leeches) and we were back at where Jim and I had exited, an hour after we’d left the campsite.
Jim and Garry (in the distance) at the sport where we’d exited and I’d climbed out on the ladder.
I stayed above ground and read a book whilst they were surveying … no way was I going back into that cave. They were pretty quick (they actually surveyed the whole cave because Jim’s Topo Droid wasn’t working properly), taking around 1.5 hours for the whole survey.
We crossed the creek again and were 2/3 of the way back when I discovered that my camera wasn’t in my pack. I’d taken it out to take the above photo and put it on a rock, and didn’t see it when we left. Was a good thing that I wanted to take a photo of the logged tree though it would have been better if I’d found out earlier. Jim very kindly offered to go back to the cave to find the camera (I said I’d buy him lunch for his kindness).
It took about an hour for him to do the trip and he joined us around 1pm. We then went back to the campsite for another hot shower (and de-leech).
Big thanks to Garry for putting the trip on, but after those squeezes, leeches, slippery rocks and ticks, I’m never going back! I did enjoy the socialising though. Also, big thanks to Jim for rescuing my camera and Rod for carrying in the ladder!
So, what are these … pretty much all of the telegraph poles in this small town had images painted on them, pretty cool.
Thumbnail: photo of the rock just inside the 2nd cave, beautiful colour.