Soo hello from taupo people!! We arrived yesterday after having a mega awesome time in Waitomo. We decided to book the most extreme trip we could find in Waitomo (a place with caves and a general store...thats it!). So we opted for Absolute Adventures who advertised as being the most hardcore and basically would not lead us by the hand...woop woop couldnt wait! Woke up in the morning feeling v v ill, mainly nerves i think!! We met our guide Doug and he drove us out to Lucky Strike cave systems some 20 mins outside of Waitomo, away from the tourist crowds. Had a safety brief then got changed into very fetching striped long jons, overalls and helmets. My nerves were fading as i relaxed, our group was only 4 guys, a german, a californian then me and Dain. We wandered over to the entrance to the caves and prepared to spend the next 4 - 5 hours in darkness, quite a scary prospect. Especially was worried that i would panic and get claustrophobic. However i didnt the whole trip!! We clambered over rocks and got used to the rope system, ie clipping ourselves to saftey ropes so we could traverse the cave. BAsically so if we fell we would be hanging by our harnesses!! I learnt how useful these were after a couple of slips! Me and Dain had to both get our gear changed over as we were the left handed freaks of the group! Did my first abseil....hehe found something else i do left handed!! Loved it!! Went on from there balancing rocks, straddling 20metre drops, rope climbing up rock faces. My whole body was shaking with excitement, i loved every second of it...even the scary bits. Doug and the boys were awesome as sometimes i didnt have the skill or strength to get up certain parts of the rockface so resulted in me at one point being pulled up the face by the scruff of my neck by mattius the german, so so funny!! On the way back we abseiled an underground waterfall wehre we got soaked then doug left us to navigate our way out of the cave system on our own! We trundled upstream having to go over or under anythin in the way so at some points i was crawling through freezing water on my hands the next i was wading through pools up to my chest, then id be climping waterfalls to get up to the next section of stream. So tiring, still aching and sporting some amazing bruising across my arms and legs. Have also managed to skin my hands which are very sore. But, you know what, i wouldnt change it for the world. It truly was the most amazing day, i trusted myself and went for it and im gonna say it loud and proud...I AM PROUD OF MYSELF for doing the trip...i am also looknig for the nearest caves so i can carry on, thats how much i enjoyed it. Will make a tough girl out of me yet!!! Mum/Dad you should have seen me, you'd have been terrified for me but hell you would be grinning at what i achieved afterwards!! Even when i fell on the toughest climb i still gave it my all and the boys hitched me up and egged me on to get up there. wwooooooo. Next we are heading to the Tongariro National Park to complete the 4 day hike there....cant bloody wait, got a summit climb to complete too!!! Speak soon my lovers xxxxx
