06/05/2018 - Adventurous roads take their toll

After a windy and rainy night, we were greeted in the morning with a picturesque sunrise and rainbow. The blue sky invited us to have breakfast outdoors. We started the day calmly. Over time, the acquaintances from last evening and another German couple joined us. So, a community of six Germans sat together in the middle of New Zealand. It turned out that the participants came from various regions and cities - from Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig, and Munich, we formed the center with Frankfurt. Experiences and memories were exchanged. It turned out that our planned route coincided with one of the couples. More or less, we made arrangements for the evening.
We left "Collingwood" and made our first stop at two unexplored caves. The road there, as often in remote areas, led over a gravel road. Deep ruts and large potholes filled with rainwater from the previous night dominated the road. In the parking lot, we saw another car that had actually made it here. We packed our backpacks and started the walk. At the beginning, we crossed a small paddock and soon found ourselves in the bush. There was no signpost or anything else to give us an indication of how long it might take. One thing was clear: the path led uphill. However, there was no end in sight. We walked and walked and were completely focused on making progress. Out of nowhere, there was a loud rustling behind us and a jogger tried to attract our attention - this only worked to some extent, but we still got scared. After about an hour, we finally stood in front of the first cave. The "Stafford's Cave" is notorious on the Internet for its steep descent. We were also overwhelmed and decided to first visit the "Ballroom Cave". This was reached after a few minutes and was much more inviting. Because its entrance was almost at ground level. After a few steps, we were in the center of the cave. It left us speechless. The cave resembled a ballroom. Smaller and larger stalactites hung from the ceiling. A small stream created a muddy ground - the hiking equipment (shoes and pants) proved their worth once again. We ventured a little further into the cave. But when we crossed a narrow passage, it was the end. So, we returned to the spacious ballroom. The dimensions were impressive. After taking a few pictures with our digital camera as best as we could, we climbed out of the cave. It was only then that we noticed how beautiful the entrance looked from the inside. The many green plants at the cave entrance, the blue sky, and the shining sun created a beautiful overall picture. We turned around one last time and looked into the large cave before heading back to the first cave.
Admittedly, we always need a moment to get into such adventures. But the first cave exploration gave us courage and the fears subsided. Full of curiosity, we ventured into the challenging descent of the Stafford's Cave. Climbing and, above all, concentration were now required! The most difficult part was a section that felt like three to four meters straight down. To support us, a sturdy rope was installed here and two long logs were anchored. Nevertheless, one had to be very careful where to step to avoid slipping or even sliding on the muddy ground. Facing away from the cave, we each climbed down slowly one after another. It wasn't easy to find the right grip. But when the passage was successfully mastered, we could breathe a sigh of relief. The worst part was done. The rest of the descent into the cave could be easily managed. It became wet and merry at a small waterfall that had to be climbed down to make further progress. Here too, a rope was used for support. Soon, we reached the deepest chamber of the Stafford's Cave. The corridors became narrower and flatter. Despite initial hesitations, exploring the cave was great fun! Even individual glowworms could be found on the ceiling. Again, we took a few pictures on the way back and soon arrived at the tall cave entrance. Climbing up the hill was much easier to manage. When we reached the top, we high-fived each other and enjoyed the fresh air.
After over three hours, we were back at the car and took a small snack break. Next, we followed the insider tip of a local. "Manny" told us about a beautiful stretch of road surrounded by the ocean on both sides. It was important that it was high tide at the time of driving. This would bring the water particularly close to the road. Appropriately, the peak of the tide was announced to be at noon. Soon, we reached the recommended stretch and understood what he was raving about. The single-lane road was surrounded by water on the left and right sides. It was indeed a beautiful stretch of road, which we couldn't fully enjoy. The quality of the gravel road was frightful. Due to two deep ruts, a long, high mound of stones formed in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, with our relatively low car, we often hit the undercarriage. Despite all efforts to avoid this, we had to realize that we had incurred damage. The terrifying clattering brought little comfort during the strong vibrations when driving on the gravel road. Luckily, our fear that the front bumper was dragging on the ground was not confirmed. However, we realized that a part of the undercarriage was hanging lower than usual. We tried to remain calm and continued the planned journey to the north of the South Island. After what felt like an eternity but actually lasted thirty minutes, we found the campsite. We were just aiming for the pitch when we were greeted by an excited, waiting German backpacker from Collingwood. He and his girlfriend were about to go to a nearby beach at that moment and asked if we wanted to join them. Together, we set off and each reported on today's experiences. The hike to "Wharariki Beach" was neither long nor particularly strenuous. It led across green hills, through sheep pastures, and high sand dunes. Shortly before reaching the beach, signs pointed out that seal pups could occasionally be found on the beach. We didn't see any that evening, but we saw one of the largest and most extensive beaches in New Zealand. Despite merciless gusts of wind that even stirred up the sand, Wharariki Beach immediately captivated us.

The beach is not only one of the most beautiful in all of New Zealand, but it even adorns a Windows 10 wallpaper. ;)

The rock formations that formed off the coast were just inviting us to take photos. We strolled along the sea and discovered a small cave on the left side. This provided some shelter from the wind and drizzle. Since the sunset was not particularly spectacular, the four of us returned to the campsite.
For dinner, we met in the communal kitchen. We spent the rest of the evening talking to Natalie and Benni and fell tired and exhausted into bed late at night.