It is an oddity of the porous sandstone that at times the creek is flowing and at
others bone dry. The water seeping out of sight through the very rock upon which
we walk. There is also the chance that we are walking on a false bottom
The sandy floor could well be suspended by rocks and sticks that have become
wedged part way down the narrow canyon. It is often spungy
and you are never sure if it's about to give way under foot.
Just around the corner the canyon narrows even further and plunges into
total darkness
It is now an enclosed tunnel whose celing stretches some 20 or maybe 30
meters
above us.
There is no way back we must push on so we don head lamps and
transcend the darkness. The walls of the tunnel are now so narrow that
our backpacks have to be dragged along behind us or else squeezed one
one at a time through the tight clefts.
All about us shine a myriad of glowworms grouped together in tiny formations
looking for all the world like strange constellations burning in some inner
sky.
They call this section Starlight and it is truly amazing.
As we climb down through the tunnel the water returns
waist deep and freezing cold. The echo's of our wading add atmosphere
and awaken a collony of bats that churp anoyingly as our lights interupt
their
slumber.
İCraig Flynn
İCraig Flynn