Setting Inspiration: The Ruakuri Cave Entrance
Our second "setting inspiration" showcase is another location from my travels in New Zealand. This time, something very specific: the breathtaking spiral walkway down into the Ruakuri caves.
My camera sucks balls, so I'm afraid I don't have the most spectacular quality images for you. You can see a very nice photo on the Waitomo Caves website, and also read more about the cave itself. (And book a tour if you want). But here's my meager offering:
It's a gradual decline, easy to walk down, and pleasantly cool and humid as caves tend to be. Down at the bottom there's what I can only describe as an airlock that serves as entrance to the caves proper. I didn't think to get a photo of that part.
In the center, there's a fountain sculpture that has some Maori meaning which I forgot. The whole way down, you can hear the gentle running water of the bright centerpiece.
The rest of the caves are pretty normal caves. This entrance, however, really stuck in my memory. It has a great ambiance, with the low lighting, the running water, the cool damp air, and the long gentle walk circling down to the bottom.
My thoughts on this as a setting - elements of the ambiance here would make for a wonderful temple, underground shrine, or entrance to a forgotten city. The calm, quiet atmosphere is very fitting for something sacred or revered, or maybe a place for meditation and reflection. Any kind of solemn ritual would be neat in a setting like this, as people gather around on the ramp and watch the participants in the bright lighting at the center.
While we're on the topic, here are some glow worms for you:
The tour guide turned out the lights so we could admire the glow worms. My husband didn't quite understand and kept wandering down the walkway in the pitch blackness, so he was completely gone when the lights came back on.
And just for kicks, me in the cave:
My camera sucks balls, so I'm afraid I don't have the most spectacular quality images for you. You can see a very nice photo on the Waitomo Caves website, and also read more about the cave itself. (And book a tour if you want). But here's my meager offering:
It's a gradual decline, easy to walk down, and pleasantly cool and humid as caves tend to be. Down at the bottom there's what I can only describe as an airlock that serves as entrance to the caves proper. I didn't think to get a photo of that part.
In the center, there's a fountain sculpture that has some Maori meaning which I forgot. The whole way down, you can hear the gentle running water of the bright centerpiece.
The rest of the caves are pretty normal caves. This entrance, however, really stuck in my memory. It has a great ambiance, with the low lighting, the running water, the cool damp air, and the long gentle walk circling down to the bottom.
My thoughts on this as a setting - elements of the ambiance here would make for a wonderful temple, underground shrine, or entrance to a forgotten city. The calm, quiet atmosphere is very fitting for something sacred or revered, or maybe a place for meditation and reflection. Any kind of solemn ritual would be neat in a setting like this, as people gather around on the ramp and watch the participants in the bright lighting at the center.
While we're on the topic, here are some glow worms for you:
The tour guide turned out the lights so we could admire the glow worms. My husband didn't quite understand and kept wandering down the walkway in the pitch blackness, so he was completely gone when the lights came back on.
And just for kicks, me in the cave:
This post is part of a series focused around gorgeous or fascinating places that I think would make great settings for sci-fi and fantasy (or anything else!). It includes places I have used in writing, will use, or simply admire.
I welcome submissions of your own photos or location suggestions. Anything breathtaking, haunting, unearthly, or otherwise memorable! Comment or tweet me and I'll try to make a post out of it.
Neat. The structure reminds me strongly of the 'Hellwell' of the Rakashas in Zelazny's *Lord of Light.*
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