We made breakfast, booked our hostel for tonight, and got a late start leaving Franz Josef. We trekked northward and then eastward, driving clear across the South Island towards Christchurch. Our plan was to stop and hike in Arthur's Pass along the way and continue on to Christchurch. The weather was crappy, rain, and overcast, we stopped in Arthur's Pass, saw my first Kia
ate lunch, got a few postcards, and went on an hour long hike. Hikes like this seem insignificant now after doing the Routeburn Track, I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. I just realized how much more there is to be seen on a hike, and how the landscape can change so drastically, just by using your own two feet. It's such an incredible experience doing it under your own power than by car. I look forward to more long distances treks in the future! Anyway, it was raining, we were properly protected, but without much incentive to get to the end, we both ultimately decided to turn around about 20 minutes into the hike.
We were unable to do the 5 to 8 hour hike due to time constraints and the decision to make it to Christchurch tonight. We saw a several hundred foot waterfall, briefly, off the side of the road, but Arthur's Pass became a disappointment. To be fair, we didn't have adequate enough time to hike the famous treks and given the opportunity I would go back for more, as via the postcards, it looks incredible! We drove on and stopped at a place called "Cave Stream" that I learned from the girls in hot springs. Apparently, there was this stream off the road that goes 650m through this underground cave and there are no tours, you just bring your own torch, wear sturdy shoes, and wet suit bottoms / warming clothing is recommended. We changed into long sleeves, swim suits, and water shoes. Hiked down the hillside and stumbled across the unmarked, but unmistakable entrance to the cave.
As we entered the cave and light began to fade into the distance, we were quickly submerged up to our belly buttons, and without the flash lights, you couldn't even see your hand a quarter inch away from your face. The water level lowered to about knee height, however, the flow was pretty constant. One misstep, and either of us could easily be swept off our feet into the flowing water. We took the time to climb about the cave into narrow side passages, and to find short cuts within these that met on the far side to scare each other in the darkness.
There was a not a single human besides us in the cave and it was getting to be evening, there were three or four cars in the parking lot when we began the cave walk, and zero when we returned, had something happened, we could've been in for a very interesting experience. However, I digress, we continued to trudge up the stream with the use of our torches (flash lights) and attempted a few pictures, but in the pitch black, they were a challenge.
We encountered numerous 2' to 3' waterfalls that we had to climb up, all the while attempting to balance ourselves with the caves walls, watch our footing, all while holding our flashlight / Tim's camera in our hands. At last, after probably almost an hour of hiking upward in the stream, which was getting increasingly chilly. The lack of sun light, let alone, ANY light, the cold water sucking body heat from our body, it definitely got cold. We finally reached the end which culminates with a 3m (10') water fall into a pool, before spilling over an edge and down the cave. Here, Tim took the opportunity for a brief "shower" and clothes washing. I also sat on the edge, which was about the length from my hips to my feet, to create a mini-dam as we let the water accumulate above. After a minute or so of holding back the water, we were ready to unleash its power, which was more dangerous as it sounds, because I needed to stop bracing the water back and not get swept down with the water. I was able to successfully, and the rush of the 100s of gallons of water spilling over the edge and into the cave was remarkable.
We climbed up some iron rungs drilled into the rocky side, grasped a chain anchored to rock, and army crawled along the side of the rocks to the top of the waterfall, just adjacent to it, where we were finally greeted by sunlight and the exit to the cave.
A quick 10 minute walk up to our car, changing clothes, and we were back on the road towards Christchurch.
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