I’m two weeks into my escape from late winter in Nebraska to late summer in New Zealand, and it’s high time that I brought you an update. Last week we had an excursion to an area that I have not visited before, recommended by Squiddy and Batty. We drove northward out of Auckland for a couple of hours, under overcast skies with intermittent rain, and made our way along ever-smaller and -steeper roads until we reached the Waipu Caves. There are no artificial lighting, boardwalks, or guard rails, so one must bring footwear suitable for slippery surfaces and a good flashlight. There were only a few other visitors, so we were free to explore at our leisure. I didn’t have my serious tripod with me, so I was limited in what I was able to do in the extremely-low light inside the cave, but I was able to rest my camera on a convenient rocky outcropping to make a shot of Squiddy examining some glowworms near the entrance.
After exploring the cave and emerging from its dark depths back into the wonderfully-lush surroundings of the limestone cliff under which the stream that carved the cave exits, I made three careful consecutive images, which I have been able to stitch together to produce this panorama, which conveys some of the magic that infuses places like this.
Please click on an individual image for a higher-resolution image, especially with the second one.
krikitarts 
It looks so untouched and beautiful. Definitely magical :).
It’s great to be able to get back into places like this, that have far fewer visitors then the better-known caves.
Very beautiful and as Cindy says, so untouched.
(I was enjoying your CD again today, Gary – Yard Work brings a smile every time I play it).
It’s wonderful to know that I can help to bring you smiles. That’s one of my favorites, too!
Great escape. New Zealand sounds (and looks) way better than the Midwest right now. Winter still has a grip here.
It sure is a great escape, Dan. It’s the perfect time of year for a 180-degree climate shift!
Gorgeous!
Thanks, Ruth, I hope to be able to bring you more real soon!
Looks like a perfect place for a rainy day. Love the panorama!
I love shooting on a rainy day, so long as it’s not really windy. Saturation by precipitation does wonderful things for the saturation of the colors. The panorama seemed especially appropriate here–glad you like it!