Spelunking in Limestone Caves
24 July 2012 | Koumac, New Caledonia
Spelunking
Koumac, New Caledonia
Today, Sunday, we got our bikes to shore (we have 3 Dahon folding bikes aboard that we got in New Zealand), rented 3 more and went in search of the caves that were a ‘must see’ according to our guide book and Lydie, the Port Captain.
Michael did some last minute adjustments on the bicycles and off we went. Of course, there was the obligatory stop at the grocery store for baguettes and cheese, without which no adventure would be complete – at least not in a French territory!
It took us just over an hour to get to the caves. The ride was mostly through the countryside on fairly good roads, with the last part being on gravel and dirt. There were quite a number of hills, but they weren’t too steep, just very long and gradual. It was a good work out for our ‘boat legs’!
The entrance to the caves was a fun climb up some pretty substantial boulders. From above, these boulders looked like a giant had let rocks tumble into a heap from his hand. The caves were a downward climb and once we squeezed through a very tight slit between two rock walls, we came into a large chamber. The walls were formed of different kinds of rock, smooth and textured, and the floor was, in parts, loose gravel with some shells interspersed. Stalactites were hanging from the ceiling and there were what looked like waterfalls that had petrified in mid-fall. Some were smooth and some rough and sparkling. After more squeezing and ducking through rocks, there was another chamber and another and another.
Once we got in a ways, we turned off our lights; the darkness and silence were total. It is amazing how stunning total silence can be. We don’t realize how much noise we have around us, until it is suddenly gone. Dennis brought his sound equipment and I wonder what he recorded when we all stopped and stood in silence. I now have an inkling of what ‘deafening silence’ means.
Our ride home was as fun and challenging as our ride to the caves. We stopped at a park near a little pizza place, on the outskirts of Koumac. The adults rested – splayed out on the grass, Zoe read, and Maia and Liam played on the climbers. After about 30 minutes, Michael and Zoe went to pick up our pizza. No cooking tonight!