the cave a bit of history

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The Initiation
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Picture a 5 year old boy in a village deep in the urawera bush of New Zealand.about 1945
There were only 40 houses in the village and the boys there were more or less loose knit groups .
I desperately wanted to be one of the groups and one day a friend said that to belong you had to go and visit the ‘cave’

OK that seemed simple enough so with the friend as a guide we disappeared deep in the bush and soon I heard a tremendous rushing sound of very rapid water. Oh wow there was this huge ravine filled with ferocious water traveling at break neck speed some 20 feet below, the steep sides were covered with green moss and the rocks were wet and slippery. I was very apprehensive and said where are these caves.

My friend, the same age as me, pointed to a cliff face that seemed to have very little to hold on to.
Scared as I was I was determined to see the cave and as my friend showed me the special places to get hand holds we edged along the sheer cliff face not daring to look down at the water and certain death.
Soon we came to the difficult part as small horizontal crack in the cliff that only a small boy of 5 could fit and crawl along with out falling.
No wonder the adults did not know of our cave it would be impossible due to the dense bush and other things for any person bigger than a 5 year old boy to get to the cave.
At the end of the groove in the cliff was another surprise a drop to some flat rocks and up to onto a small ledge and there in front of me were two supple-jack vines to hang onto and was able to lower myself on to the next ledge and then the easy part to the cave in the side of the sheer cliff.
By this time I was trembling with sheer fright as I realized I had to go back the same way.
The cave was full of stalactites and after a short explore we edged our way back along the cliff making sure that every hand and foot hold was secure as to slip any where in the 20 meter climb was certain death.
Back in the dense bush I was elated. I had done what only 3 boys in the village had done and was still alive.
As we exited from the bush we were met by two very anxious mothers and as I proudly related to my mum where I had been I got the biggest, first, and last hiding in my life.
Since that day I have never been scared of anything, as I knew that if I make sure of every step, I would be safe.
Sixty years on I had almost forgotten this escapade till I was sitting in the Christchurch airport and looking at a poster of a New Zealand bush and ravine scene and gradually I realized there was the slippery flat topped rocks the horizontal groove, and yes even the two vines at the end of the last climb and the dark patch, yes I knew what was around that corner and only 3 people in N Z knew about it.
I flew out of the air port to a school reunion and of all the people who were there at the school reunion, was the special playmate, who was the other person who knew about our secret cave of 60 years ago.
I said “remember the first time we went to the cave ‘
“ Sure do “he said ”it was my first time too”

top left is a dark place where the cave is hiden from view and the two vines i had to choose which was the safest

• 15 Sep, 2009
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