Waitomo Caves

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MCoW-Mt-Elephant

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Decided to skip back across the ditch

to MY Corner of the World this week.

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If you use your imagination…

…it is not a great leap to think of this shape as

the top half of an elephant.

And I guess that was running through

early settlers/explorers minds when they named

this extinct (I hope) volcano

Mount Elephant.

Mount Elephant is just one of

half a dozen volcanic cones

(that I can think of off-hand)

which dot Victoria’s Western District farmland.

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My-Corner-of-the-World:  #17

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MCoW-Ruakuri-Cave

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Still in New Zealand’s

North Island.

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Some images…

…inside Ruakuri Cave…

…one of three caves…

…at the

Waitomo Cave Complex

New Zealand.

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My-Corner-of-the-World:  #16

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Lens-Artist-PC-51-Unique

 

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As soon as I saw this week’s theme…

…I thought of the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand.

These photos come from Ruakuri Cave.

Photography is not permitted in the Glow Worm Cave.

None of the stalactites, stalagmite formations are the same

The average growth rate of

a stalagmite/stalactite is around 0.13 mm per year

(the fastest growth rate being 3 mm per year).

 

Therefore, at an average growth rate

these formations would increase

by approximately ONE centimetre

(half an inch) every century.

And while many appear to be similar…

…they are all unique.

In Ruakuri Cave photography is permitted.

While the glow worms  are nowhere as prolific

as in the Glow Worm Cave there were some.

As to be expected a hand held camera

could only partly record the light.

As soon as we spoke of a New Zealand

North Island road trip…

Waitomo was first stop on our list.

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Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Patti:  Unique

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Leya:  Unique

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Amy:  Unique

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Tina:  Unique

 

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Wordless Wednesday18_1212-Stalactites

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Ruakuri Cave,

Waitomo, New Zealand.

Stalactites grow about 1 centimetre every 100 years.

Just imagine how old the joined stalactite and stalagmite,

in the centre of this image, are.

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Hope you enjoyed.

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FOWChallenge-Magical

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Not stars in the sky.

Rather some of the few Glow-worms in Waitomo’s,

Ruakuri Cave in New Zealand.

Ruakuri Cave is the only glow-worm cave

in which photography is permitted. 

Recommend all three caves if you visit Waitomo. 

All three caves are different and magical in their own right….

especially the Waitomo Glowworm Cave. 

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Fandango’s One Word Challenge:  Magical

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk158_Giant

Toy
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Giants from new Zealand…although we begin in Italy.

Anyone who has visited the Vatican

may have climbed the spiral step less staircase

and been in awe at its construction.

However the entrance/exit to the Ruakuri Cave, at Waitomo,

makes the Vatican staircase look like a miniature.

We also visited the Giant Redwood Forest at Rotorua.

These trees are not as large as some

of the photographed Californian Redwoods,

however, they are still Giant Redwoods

 

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Pic and Word Challenge: Giant