I'll Be Your Harvester of Light and Send it Out Tonight

Has it really been a week already? I have been so distracted. Finally got my hands on all three of the Hunger Games books (we were number 74 on the wait-list at the library for the first book, but we got one of the boys to borrow a copy from the school). I blew through all 900+ pages of the first two last week, and now I am rationing the third. A few times we've thought about catching a movie, but then it is suddenly 10 pm and we're both still buried in our books. Scotty is reading it too. I made the startling discovery that he reads two pages to my every one. I have since comforted myself by noting my attention to detail. When a person, outfit or place is described- I draw out a picture in my mind's eye before I move on. Oftentimes I even re-read the description so I can make a very clear mental picture.  Diorama's were my strong point in grade school. One time I built an island complete with real water surrounding it, and real goldfish swimming in that water. The finished product was 5 ft by 4 ft and barely fit in the back of the van. Forget about the fact that it was only out of 10 marks, and that it was supposed to be done in a shoe box. A shoe box could never contain all the necessary details- my 11 year old self would exclaim to my mom, who dared to question why I needed to use the table saw (to cut the moat... duh) for my English homework. Maybe that is why my reading is HALF what Scotty's is: because I am too busy dreaming of dioramas.

(How I am nearly 30 years old and only now considering a career in design?)

Te Anau is the last town before heading into the wilderness of Milford Sound. It is also where Helen grew up. The town lies within the Fiordland National Park and is nestled on the shore of the stunning Lake Te Anau- the largest (by volume) lake in Australasia. The town itself is tiny, yet it services the hundreds and thousands of tourists headed for Milford- and the prices of the restaurants (and bulk section of the grocery store... because hikers love their trail-mix) reflected this. Despite my hatred for them, we resigned ourselves to a lunch at the Sandfly Cafe because it had decent prices (I dragged Scotty to every other eating hole first... why would you name anything after those despicable creatures? I felt like eating there was a moral discrepancy).

With full bellies and ice cream dripping down our fists, we waited on the dock for our boat to arrive.

ONLY THE FINEST THREADS FOR MEETING THE GLOW WORMS. 

SANTA LOVED US. HE SAT IN THE SEAT RIGHT NEXT TO ME ON THE WAY THERE AND THEN WENT BACK TO BACK WITH SCOTTY ON THE RETURN TRIP. I FEEL BAD I NEVER EVEN SAID "HI"- HE IS SANTA AFTER ALL.

Te Anau was originally named Te Ana au which is Maori for the cave of swirling water. The name hinted at a cave system, but the caves remained lost in legend until the middle of the 20th century:

They remained hidden until their rediscovery by local explorer Lawson Burrows in 1948. Fascinated by the ancient stories, he spent three years searching for the caves before discovering a stream emerging from under a rock structure on Lake Te Anau’s western shores. Burrows squeezed underwater through the entrance and surfaced into a cavern shimmering with thousands of glowworms. (Source: Real Journeys)

This cave system (known as the Aurora Caves) dives 6.4 kms into the mountainside. The first portion of this cave is home to thousands of glow worms. We took a boat out to the observation center and then walked along a 200m long track suspended above the water (and over a few waterfalls).

Image: travel online

These caves are considered to be quite "young" and so they are still being shaped by the water that runs through them. As a result, they are sleek and smooth and look rather fake- especially in areas where the water flow is fast and constant. Once we made the 200m walk into the cool air and pitch black caves we boarded a small boat and entered the glow worm grotto. As our eyes adjusted to the thick blackness the cave roof opened up to dazzling blue glow worm constellations. Our guide maneuvered the boat relying solely on ropes as we glided in complete silence and darkness under the blanket of glimmering creatures. As one point the boat coasted under a low hanging roof- the worms felt as if they were millimeters from the tip of my nose and I went completely cross-eyed looking at them.

I WASN'T ALLOWED A CAMERA, SO PROMOTIONAL PICTURES WILL HAVE TO DO. I LIKE TO THINK I WASN'T GRINNING LIKE THE IDIOT IN THE FRONT, BUT I KNOW THAT ISN'T TRUE. image: Rankers

Photography was forbidden (as even the LCD screens disrupt these zero-light creatures) as was talking. There were about 10 of us on the boat, but you would never know it- you couldn't see or hear the person next to you. Scotty and I squeezed each others hands when we saw a dazzling group of them, and when the boat went under the low hang, we could see each others' faces illuminated in this silvery blue light.

Yeah. Magic.

Image: Blog

SCOTTY WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO SPOT THE SILK STRANDS (USED TO CAPTURE PREY) SUSPENDED FROM THE GLOW WORMS. MY EYES COULD NOT. ISN'T THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO BETTER!?!? image: Spellbound

Before we took the trip down to New Zealand, I spotted the glow worm caves in a tour book I picked up. While we have left so much up to spontaneity- going into one of the many glow worm caves was a "to do."

So much beauty created by a gathering of sightless worms- think of what us humans might be capable of.

Despite my better judgement, Scotty and I got a little too much sun on the boat ride back. It just feels so good. At times during the 40 minute ride, I forgot that we were on a lake (sections of it are 10 kms wide) and looking out at the dense green forest and towering mountains, I felt like I was at home. Maybe somewhere on the northern coast of BC? 

SUN. APPLE CORE. BLISS.

If anything has become glaringly obvious to Scotty and I on this trip- it is the need to explore our home area A LOT more than we have. It is funny how being away has made the both of us fall in love with BC. There is something about this land (the southern island of NZ) that gets at a part of me the way home does. I know that I am completely biased, but the beauty of this type of nature is unmatched: ocean, miles and miles of green forest, snow capped mountains and cities contained in pockets (so much is left raw). 

We collected our sweltering car and made a 20 min trip south to Lake Manapouri. Much like the neighbouring Lake Te Anau- this giant lake (it has 34 islands within it's watery boundary) boasts very pure and clean water and it's stunning beauty is framed by the Cathedral Mountains.

CATHEDRAL MOUNTAINS TOWERING IN THE BACKGROUND

TRYING TO TAKE A SELF PORTRAIT WHILE SITTING AT A PICNIC TABLE HE FOUND SUBMERGED ABOUT 20 FEET DEEP.

Back in the car, we continued South- our car pointed at one of the Southernmost cities on the globe, Invercargill.

PRETTY, SOFT COLOURS. BUTTERCREAM FEILDS. 

On our route, Scotty spotted a sign for more caves. We turned down an empty street between two expanses of farmland and saw a cave opening right next to a sheep paddock. 

RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAVE OPENING- NOTICE HOW THE HILLSIDE IS LAYERED. CURIOUS.

With only one flashlight we climbed into the cave, but we didn't go beyond being able to see the opening. While I stopped to take picture of a lone glow worm, Scotty said he was just going to go a bit further into the cave. Three minutes later, I realized I couldn't hear him. 

SEASONED CAVERS ARE ALWAYS WELL PREPARED

Great. He's knocked himself out and has the only flashlight on him AND the car keys.

Stupid tourists.

Then I heard footsteps outside- running towards the opening of the cave. 

Even better. Now there are chainsaw murderers headed right my way. I wanted to hide, but then I thought of how strange it might be if it's not a murderer but a couple tourists coming to check out the cave and they find this lady crouching in the dark, all by herself, with no flashlight, hiding. Who's gonna look like the murderer then? 

And that's when I saw him. He found another exit off to the side. I should have known.

IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEONE THINKS THEY SEE A SPIDER