Urban Adventure

Mixed emotions on this trip. Been excited all day about going in the big one - the River Sheaf. I packed the Peli case with the SLR and the new bright lights and headed off down the big one.

Wanted to experience the trip from start to finish - so I entered the the upstream entrance. Very quicky you are into chest deep water. But its only for a short while, and this time I was wearing my wetsuit, so I didn’t feel a thing. If only I could say the same for the Canon. Got out the camera and the Peli case was FULL OF WATER!! WTF? I just looked in disbelief. I mean this on the night before I head off to Mexico as well, and the bloody camera is F****d.

Well I guess I won’t be taking any pictures anytime soon. This is my first Pelicase failure and I still can’t quite work out how it happened. It wasn’t underwater for long. I cursed myself for not putting the bag over my head.

Well, I wasn’t going to let this set back stop me from exploring. Three passages up ahead. The masonry was amazing. All the passages are high and split the stream into three. A little way along as stream joins from the left and I assume that this is the Porter Brook. I explored up it for a way, but there was a considerable amount of debris and I shall have to continue this another time to see if I am correct.

Now and again the passages meet in chamber, there are steps down.

Finally what I have been waiting for - The Megatron Archway and I am not disappointed. It is great and what I hadn’t realised from the photos is that the arches are so stepped. The stone work is supurb. The brick work in the middle arch is beautiful.

I am awed. If I never see this place again, I will be truly happy for having seen it in the first place.

I walk back gutted about my camera.