JimBrack

I have been to Norfolk Island 3 times since 2000

I love this place. It is also the birth place of my Great Grand parents (Descendants of Fletcher Christian) My dream is to retire on Norfolk

The Trip A great beginners trip isn’t it. A leisurely stroll through majestic native forest followed by an hour or two’s exhilarating caving (i.e. muddy and wet) A short drop down a mud slide. Viewing majestic formations followed by a gentle stream walk whilst viewing glow worms and other rare New Zealand fauna (Cave Weta’s). You must admit that for people who haven’t caved before Zweihohlen is a great experience. A mud slide, small “squeezes”, plenty of pretties to oh and ah over and if anybody gets to carried away you can always surprise them and get them very wet.

The party this weekend consisted of myself and my wife Liz and two friends from Wellington; Caela and James(JimBrack) both of whom had never been caving. We really were having a lot of fun. Lunch at the HTG hut and then on our way. Following a very smelly Billy goat along the track had everyone in high spirits.

Great fun was had by all. We made very good time going through Zweihohlen and both Caela and James were enjoying themselves. I’d planned to continue up to the rat run and have a bash at the organ grinder squeeze and onto Viviens needle if everybody felt OK and providing the stream wasn’t too high.

The Fall. How do you admit to your caving peer’s that you stuffed up big time. Yes I was life lining Liz out of Zweihohlen into Gardeners Gut and I forgot the golden rule “to tie myself into the belay”. So with time only for a short loud expletive I had fallen 8 meters and stuffed the day.

I came too, in the stream bed and believe me I was very sore. It did not take me very long to realize that I was going nowhere. I knew that I’d broken my collar bone. (after three times it’s a very distinctive feeling) My ribs felt broken and so did both my ankles. Believe it or not I’d actually dropped Liz a couple of meters and then to really upset her I landed on her. She was uninjured !!!!. So to get the point of this article and to provoke heated debate. What you have done in this situation ???

The Situation

1 Trip leader badly damaged and concussed.

Only other “experienced” caver at bottom of hole.

Trip leader is only person with SRT knowledge Liz can belay and abseil but has never rigged anything.

Two non cavers at top of pitch one of which can have bad asthma.

Time is 14:00 … Trip is signed out at 18:00 which means nobody looking for us until 20:00

My Decisions

Get Caela and James down to our level

Send rest of party out for help.doh

Reasoning

Shortest way out is downstream. 15 minutes.

I couldn’t think clearly enough to describe the return trip to non cavers and where to go from cave entrance.

Didn’t want the scenario of cavers in and out of cave and missing etc.

Time. I didn’t want too wait six to eight hours where I was.

Question

Did I do the right thing after my fall ? It took us a long time to lower Caela and James down to our level. I know that at the time I thought I was in control.. I can’t have been because now I remember very little of the afternoon and I’m told I was passing in & out of consciousness.

Liz and Caela went for help. James stayed with me. We ate heaps of chocolate and solved all the problems in the world. It is very hard not to look at your watch. James and Liz had both lent me an extra thermal top. I wasted this advantage by lying down. When I did realize what was happening I managed to get propped upright.

The Rescue. Very Slick. What a weight off my mind when I heard people splashing upstream towards me. Then to see more familiar faces and hear cheerful voices. It was very reassuring to be fussed over in the manner that the rescue squad did. It was great lie back on snow foam and to actually start feeling warmer as I was blanketed up and strapped into the stretcher.

The trip out was really quite smooth. I’ve been carried before in a Search and Rescue exercise. That time I was strapped in and carried upside down over a river (payback for something). So knowing this cave The teams did a great Job.

My thanks to all the men and women who came to get me. I know some of them must be nursing bruises as big as mine. Liz also thanks the above ground personal for the way in which they supported her and kept her informed.

The ResultFixed

1 Smashed heel requiring surgery to fix.

1 Severely bruised and twisted ankle

1 broken collar bone

1 set of badly bruised ribs

1 set of badly bruised buttocks

1 badly dented ego.

My Job

3 – 6 months off work

90 + man hours (30 rescuers for 3 hours)

Helicopter rescue flight

2 weeks in hospital

3 hours in surgery

20 + x-rays & full body scan

Rehab costs etc.

As at May 1998 further surgery and time off required.

A combination of ego, fatigue & a stupid moment of forgetfulness has cost me and the country many Thousands of dollars. Sobering thought.

Dargaville, Gateway to the Kauri Forest, two and a half hours drive north west of Auckland, is a unique town of approximately 4,800 people and nestles amongst the hills radiating northwards from the Northern Wairoa River.

In the past two decades Dargaville has grown as central base from which to visit the virtually untouched and unspoiled recreational paradise – The Kauri Coast, the Great Outdoors to which more and more discerning visitors are returning each year.