Sunday, April 19, 2009
Photoblog: Chapter 3 of New Zealand
Day 4
Woke up at 5.30am to get ready. It's like 0030hrs back in Singapore! Today will be travelling back to Auckland City which means our butts will be burnt!
See our messy room
Pretty on the right!
This is how the hotel looks like
Lake Rotorua
There are many seagulls flying all over. While I'm trying to go near and capture them, one of the seagulls suddenly came charging towards me, trying to attack me. I was so scared that I hurried off. What an experience -_-
So I was kinda frightened (I was all alone in this big place), quickly finished my shots before heading back to the hotel where my family members were looking for me. I told them what happened and they laugh at me! :(
Then, we were on our way to Waitomo to explore the breathtaking interiors of the Waitomo Caves. No photographs were allowed inside so I have those outside. Wanted to snap sneakily but it was soooooooooo dark, any shots will be found out. lol
Makeshift route to entrance because of the fire
Waitomo, meaning 'water entering a hole in the ground' is home to an awesome underground world. Walked in and it was pitch dark with occasional dim lights at the side. Slippery wet floors to beware and the winding stairs down, to the caves where the limstone live.
I experience the magic of an ancient labyrinth of limstone caves and formations. Waitomo used to lay quietly beneath the sea about 30mil years ago with the remains of countless marine creatures settled gently on the seabed and accumulated to form the rock strata (limestone). These are made up almost purely of fossils and calcium carbonate.
The caves has been shaped by faulting, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Inside the caves, salactites (hang down from the cave ceiling), stalagmites (grow up from the cave floor) and other cave decorations began to grow, formed over time as water gradually dripped from the roof, dropped to the floor or flowed over the walls and rocks.
These fascinationg limestone decorations are formed by water dripping from the roof, falling to and flowing over cave walls leaving a deposit of crystalline calcium carbonate.
Crystal layers accumulate over time, growing longer or thicker (stalactites and stalagmites). These creat a 'living sculptures' of breathtaking beauty and majesty. All these can take hundreds of years to form. It has been estimated that it can take about 100 years to form 1 cubic cm of stalactite.
After a whole long explanation of the limetones, we proceeded to see the glowworms. It's pretty to the max! Like stars twinkling. Their life cycle consists of 4 stages: Egg to larva to pupa to adult.
It is during the larval stage of a two-winged insect which gives off light to attract food in the form of other flying insects. After hatching, the young larvae build a nest, put down sticky and spider-like feeding lines (saliva) and feed. These lines trap insects and drawn up and devoured. This stage last for 9mths to the shape and size of a matchstick.
Pupa stage last about 13 days. The adult glowworm looks like a large mossie. They have no mouth and their only function is to reproduce. Usually the male is waiting for the female to emerge from the pupa and mating takes place immediatiely. Adults live no longer than a few days.
We then went up and took a boat and jorney deep into the depths of these limestone caves until we reach the silence of the glowworm grottoes. It was an unbelievable trip! The whole ceiling was filled with glowworms, so much so it was like stars filling up every part of the sky, just that the only difference is that stars dun have the lines dripping downwards. I so have the urge to video down the whole process =/
Boat
Exit
Makeshift giftshop
Next on to the Shearing Shed to see the fluffy and cuddly Angora German rabbits being shorn for their highly prized fur. So feel like keeping them for pets. I bet they will die of heatstroke first in Singapore -_-
Waiting to be shaved
So cute and pretty right, the rabbit!
It looks so sad after shaving!
Another one with layers of fur. Soooo cute!!!
Their homes! Beside the little hut!
Had a cmi lunch at some stopover, looking over Lake Waitomo, with the power station. Quite pretty and peaceful. Good to laze around. heh
Tip Top - famous ice-cream in NZ
TG say must try. I think it was not bad
The weather was very good on that day. I love the blue sky and the clouds! Sunny and windy which I love too! I'm very satisfied with the wind blowing against my face! Will continue the rest of the day in the next entry =P
Labels: Lake Waitomo, New Zealand, River Haven, shearing shed, Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua, waitomo, waitomo caves
1:13 AM
