The Ruakuri Reserve and Caves

This morning was basically a write off. We searched for free wifi hot spots to try and sort out our phone insurance but then realised that the iPhone isn't very compatible with sending PDFs via email and so then went on search of an Internet cafe. Turns out that in the 8 years since I came here before, the invention of the smart phone has basically made the Internet cafe redundant, they are no more! 😵😩 fortunately I had the brainwave to ask in a hostel and fortunately they were kind enough to let us use a computer for free. Finally managed to sort it all out so fingers crossed they are happy and we will have no phones once in Oz!

So that brought us to about 2pm and our plan for the day was ruined. After pizza and a delicious chocolate and fudge muffin (thank you Countdown!) we decided to just head down the route we had planned for the day.

First stop some rose gardens in Te Awamutu. Apparently they are really nice but I think that cant quite have reached full bloom yet. Some beautiful colours, but not quite enough of them and the garden itself was very small after yesterday's visit to Hamilton Gardens. We didn't hang around for long and decided that our next planned stop at Otorohanga for the Kiwi House bird sanctuary was now pointless as we would only get an hour a half to enjoy it (thank you supercover insurance 😠😒😖😤). We are determined to see a Kiwi at some point!

So the next real stop was at the Ruakuri Reserve. We weren't sure what to expect as ww had just read it was a nice short walk.... it was awesome! The whole area around here is a large limestone cave system and the famous Waitomo Caves, which we didn't want to pay the earth to visit (the main attraction is glow worms and we have seen some already), are close by. This part we learnt (despite Rob mocking me for my need to read all the info signs) was once a large cave system too but over time and with rain the rocks have eroded and fallen in to create a large rocky area that is now more jungle than anything else. There are great walls as remnants of the cave walls that look a lot like brickwork and these are laced with green plants and ferns. The trees have vines and strands of bushy plants hanging down from their branches and they are covered in green mosses. It felt so much like being in the jungle book! Very different to the amazon jungle, much smaller and more tropical looking trees. A stream ran alongside us and we found our first remnant of a cave opening. I did a bit of climbing to a hole higher up but didn't have enough light to explore any further, we decided to come back with a torch after the walk.
We walked through more jungle and then up a lot of steps to what was called the natural tunnel viewing platform (we had no idea what this was). We eventually came to a tunnel that had been carved through the stone by water and was now dry, just waiting for us to meander through. Once through a wooden platform hugged the edge of the rock and looked down to the stream now running below us. We were already impressed by this and didn't expect anything more...we had just walked through a tunnel... but there was more to come! Up more steps and around more turns we came to a small cave opening and once inside it revealed lots of smooth bit bumpy limestone walls with stalactites and stalagmites running down the sides and clinging to the roof. A wooden platform jutted out further inside the cave and this revealed a HUGE cabe/tunnel. I guess it is a tunnel but the size of it made it seem more like a cave. We were so high already yet it stretched up and around from us with a fast stream running through the bottom and echoing in the cave. Such a cool place and better still... free! The way back to the car revealed more views of the stream and evidence of the old cave, all now enveloped by the awesome jungle.
We finished the walk and picked up a torch to explore the cave we saw before. This time I was able to go much further and it turned out to be another cave with a section closed off to the public inside. We were able to explore some parts though and Rob found an awesome hidden area with loads of stalactites/mites (we don't know what they're called when they meet in the middle).

After journeying once again back to the car it waa now time to head to the campsite. We enjoyed more shiresque scenery and google directed us along many winding roads all the way to a three way fork that just led to three different farm houses, not our campsite :/. After some backtracking we eventually found it, but Rob was driving too fast to stop and turn...sooooo, after yet more backtracking, we arrived at the free camp for the night, a lovely spot in the Mangaokewa Reserve just by a small river and surrounded by a bluff that used to belong to a cave and some jungle covered forest. We had some silly Americans drive through like yobs and set off fireworks, fortunately they didn't stay long and it didn't Interrupt our incredible badminton playing 😝

And now I am sat in the camper with a beautiful starry sky to look at and some nice fireworks that a fellow camper has brought for bonfire night 🤗😊😬😃Read more