Out to a bar with some new friends, Rob, Katie's friend from skydiving, and our fellow jumper, Mark (who got an invite to come along to the Waitomo caves with us after, and only after, quoting "Finding Nemo" with us. (As I was repeating squirts assurances that "we're gunna have a great Jump today!")
They both come along with us to Waitomo the next morning and we check into Juno Lodge. We leave our friends at the somewhat dodgy hostel to continue on our next venture: abseiling 100m into a cave and hiking through the dark and out the other side.
We meet our super chill guide, Gavin, who would take just Kt and I around. We hike to the platform after suitingh up into yet another ridiculous outfit that Kt manages to look obnoxiously adorable in and I just look re-damn-diculous. My goofy smile is always on my side though.
100m is a long way down when you are swinging from a string. I ask one more time just to be sure, "so wait, you wnt me to let go?" But I have learned slowly to trust my nerves, my guts, my legs and my gear. (New found respect for carabeners for sure.) And down we go, gliding into the lost world waiting for us below. Definitely awesome and again, nothing to disappoint. Caving is a little crazy, roaming around underground with nothing but a headlamp guding you around rocks and waterfalls and cliffs and other scary things. Rocks in caves are super funky. We followed along the path with Gavin, our fearless leader, clicking our carabeners onto ropes to stay hooked on to something, anything. We passed through some pretty amazing glow worms that looked like stars along the nights sky.
This is about the same time that we learned that out way out would be up a 30m ladder. A ladder? I have a hard enough time on a steep staircase. But yes, up we must go. This is also where we learn that Gavin has to go up first to secure the line up top. What? We have to hook ourselves in? And climb up alone? After you? Leave us? In a cave? in the dark? A quick head count and it became quite clear, quite fast that one of us would have to be the last to go.
Clearly, the obvious choice to determine the outcome would solely be based on the result of a Rock, Papers, Scissors duel. As it had been in the past between Kt and I in the now very far away kitchen at Jedediah's to determine who would get stuck with the ever demanding and co-dependant tables that would undoubtedly and inevitable be "best friends" with the owner and /or executive chef. I always lost. But this time, this time, counted more than ever because losing didn't mean getting stuck with an entire table who wants their intense lobster cream sauce on the side and absolutely no salt, butter or oil on their seared halibut. This meant that one of us would be left in a cold, dark, wet and flat out scary cave somewhere under the ground, in the dark, in Waitomo, on the North Island in New Zealand. Alone. And did I mention in the dark?
Rock, Papers, Scissors says shoot: Me.
Rock, Papers, Scissors says shoot: Stale mate.
Rock, Papers, Scissors says shoot: Katie. Tied.
Think, Carolyn, think. Well, we are standing on a rock at the bottom of a cave, Gavins light has long faded and the rope to tie in is descending for one of us to start climbing the 30m ladder out.
Rock, Papers, Scissors say shoot: I throw rock, katie throws scissors. VICTORY! All those salads with extra goat cheese and filet mignons cooked somewhere between medium and medium rare were now hundreds of miles away. Climbing for what seemed like an eternity with shaking legs and white knuckles, sucking in air like I was about to go underwater, my faint head lamp eventually guided me to the top. Gavin was waiting for me there with his reassuring pulls on the rope uiding me up and out. The rope went down, and Katie made her way up as well.
After a "well that was terrifying" declaration from Haas and a quick last glance at some glow worms, we were ready to see the light of day. Ever rewarding, yet again, was the adventure, and me another step closer to defeating ever being scared of heights again.
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