Waitomo Caves
Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk239-Winding
~~~~~~~
~~~~~
winding
a twisting movement or course.
~~~~~
The walk to Waitomo’s
Ruakuri Cave entrance…
…is gentle.
However, once through the entrance we were
greeted by this long winding ramp
which took us down into the cave proper.
~~~~~
Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk239 – Winding
Lens-Artist-PC-100-Long-Winding-Road
~~~~~
This would be nearly as long a piece
of straight road as you would find in
the Great Ocean Road area.
Even on a quiet day it only takes one
overly cautious driver to have traffic
bumper to bumper.
Along winding walk down into the Ruakuri Cave
at Waitomo Glow Worm Caves
New Zealand.
And there is only one entry/exit,
so another long winding walk
up to ground level.
~~~~~
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Patti: Long-Winding-Road
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Leya: Long-Winding-Road
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Amy: Long-Winding-Road
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Tina: Long-Winding-Road
MCoW-Mt-Elephant
~~~~~
Decided to skip back across the ditch
to MY Corner of the World this week.
~~~~~
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.
~~~~~
My-Corner-of-the-World: #17
~~~~~
~~~~~
MCoW-Ruakuri-Cave
~~~~~
Still in New Zealand’s
North Island.
~~~~~
Some images…
…inside Ruakuri Cave…
…one of three caves…
…at the
Waitomo Cave Complex
New Zealand.
~~~~~
My-Corner-of-the-World: #16
~~~~~
~~~~~
Lens-Artist-PC-51-Unique
~~~~~
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.
~~~~~
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Patti: Unique
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Leya: Unique
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Amy: Unique
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge Tina: Unique
Wordless Wednesday18_1212-Stalactites
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed.
~~~~~
FOWChallenge-Magical
~~~~~
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.
~~~~~
Fandango’s One Word Challenge: Magical
Wits-End-November18-14-Darkness
Entering Ruakari Cave looked a bit dark.
Once inside lights were turned on in each section.
An air vent.
The white dot is the other end of the air vent.
~~~~~
November18 WitsEnd-Inspirations: Darkness
Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk158_Giant
Toy
~~~~~
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
~~~~~
