Push Your Comfort Zone

I am very lucky to have a special group of friends. I’m a week home now, after an epic trip to Karamea and the Kahurangi National Park. Another amazing adventure with ‘The Giants’, a dedicated core of 8 photographic colleagues from all about New Zealand. In what is now an annual adventure, this years pick was a journey through the underworld of Kahurangi National Park. A total buzz with all the physical and mental challenge we had hoped, including camping underground amongst glow worms.

Glow worms at camp.

The concept of ‘In Pursuit of Giants’ has evolved, to become something that each of us now embraces with excitment. Initially a bit of a laugh centred around a hunting trip, we are now four years into adventures designed to take us places we would not normally explore. Not only in terms of scenery and opportunity, but also mental and physical exploration. While we never actually set out to design an annual ‘adventure’, we now a self directed mandate to push ourselves annually. The result is not only a creative journey, but also one of personal growth. Professional development crossed with a holiday if you like. We talk a lot of nonsense, have a few drinks, and enjoy a LOT of laughs. All while we take photos, share ideas, video our adventures, and explore what we truly believe is Gods own country.

This trip was mentally and physically challenging, yet equally rewarding. While we may all be a bunch of yahoo’s at times, we also make sure we are well planned, keep ourselves safe, and do things properly. I wont spoil things too much more with too many photos or video, given the movie that will get edited up soon.

Though the essence of the trip was we all met in Christchurch before driving up the West Coast to Karamea. We based ourselves there briefly, before flying by chopper in / out of the Gunner / Heaphy River area of the Kahurangi National Park. There we based ourselves in a bush camp, before setting off for 3 days exploring the extensive Megamnia Cave system. This is a extensive labyrinth of limestone caves, channels, tomos, rivers, chasms and passages deep under the hilly bush. Previous exploration by our guides and other members of the Nelson Speliological Group / NZSS (New Zealand Speliological Society) have been mapped out Megamania to have ~15km of cave tributaries. Just getting from our bush camp to the caves was a trek through thick, virgin bush. Initially easy given the fine weather, but returning from the cave system in the rain afterwards, added new challenges. We were absolutely drenched to the bone, slipping and sliding in the steep bush. Drenched, but despondent. Not a big journey by distance, but navigating the harsh, thick country ladden with kit, was indeed taxing. We needed to cross fallen trees as high as your chect, navigate vines and creepers  forever catching your feet and pack. Despite the fatigue and drenched load adding kilograms I swear, our internal buckets were also overflowing!!

Deep in one cavern, Megamania Caves, the size and scale of lies beneath the ground, is quite incredible.

Yet based in the caving system, we were actually very comfortable, making our temporary home on a dirt ledge, tucked under the lip of the massive cave mouth entrance. While damp, it was never wet, and while cool, was never properly cold.

Our cave camp, inside Megamania.

 

We made camp, and set out in groups to navigate the various streams & chasms, guided by four very experienced guides who had volunteered to take our team. To Kieran, Jonathon, Paul and Keith, we are very grateful for your careful guidance and expertise. Thank you.

By the third day of exploration, we were all pretty confident for more than just a localised walk about close to camp. We set of for the adventure we had all hoped, scrambling and hopping over rocks and boulders. Squeezing and twisting, crawling and pushing, we used every muscle we didnt know we had. We abseiled and ascended, tippy toed and slid, stretched and contorted!! The finale of the that exploration was the ‘marble cavern’, full of stalagmites and stalatites, with smooth marble like terraces. I have no idea how long such a landscape may take to create. 100’s of years? 1000’s of years? Or 10,000’s years – it could be all or any of those. What we know though is from the history of caving in this area, less people had made it to this particular set of caverns, than have landed on the moon.

It really need to say that again. Less people had made it to this particular set of caverns, than have landed on the moon. That is simply mindblowing!!!

To see Moa bones, that could be anywhere from 500-2000yrs old alone was incredible. To sleep with glow worms, was mind blowing. The bush and landscape was so very Kiwi, and utterly stunning.

But to share an adventure with such good friends, in such a beautiful part of NZ, with so many laughs, was priceless.

Look out for the movie around Aug this year. We think it could be our best yet.

Moa leg bones.

Exhausted after a big day crawling, climbing, clambering, sliding, lifting, hauling, ascending, abseliing… into the inner sanctum of the Megamania underworld!!!

Photo by Richard Wood.

Bush around Kahurangi National Park.

Vegetation at the Megamania Cave Entrance.