A Different Perspective

EVERYONE'S heard of watching the clouds, lying on the ground on your back. But it's really amazing what other things you can observe from this prone position. We, who are so used to rushing around on our feet can learn so much from stopping to view life from a different perspective. Emma and I watched leaves float down and the little 'helicopter' seeds whirl right on top of us. Bird silhouettes, when viewed against a bright sky; or underside colours when the lighting allowed. Insects; an enormous butterfly, its wings outspread. And not just things to see. The fresh, earthy smell of grass and faint distinctive scent from mown wild onions. Bird calls, insect chirps and rustling leaves. Pine needles tickling your neck. Astute observations: "That's funny! The wind is blowing my face and the trees but not blowing the clouds."

Then, just when it's getting a little too ethereal, you're reeled back to earth by a grinning toddler dropping his dead weight on your unsuspecting midsection and a slobbery dog trying to give you the kiss of life. All in an afternoon's play.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

I recently had the opportunity to explore the natural world beneath the ground, with my first foray into cave exploration. It's one thing to visit a cave attraction with tour guides, lighting, little signs pointing out items of interest and perhaps even a lift. It's quite another for everyone in your party to extinguish their head lamps and sit silently, breathing in the absolute dark all around you. In the pitch black, the other senses had plenty to keep them occupied. In this particular cave, there was the sound of water in many places: running streams, spluttering springs, light showers, steady drips and a cascading waterfall. The air was cool and steady, though at times a gentle breeze betrayed an opening to the air somewhere far above. Handling the formations is strictly forbidden for the sake of cave preservation, but even on the well-trodden paths different textures can be easily observed: hard, compacted sand and mud underfoot, loose rocks and rough boulders in break down areas, tiny fossilized sea creatures embedded in the cave walls, smooth and shiny surfaces where water has fallen for millenia. And the wide array of remarkable formations, from delicate and feathery soda straw stalactites to ancient flows of molten material, seemingly frozen in place.

Places like this put human life into perspective - each person a miniscule dot in the vast expanse of time.

There was animal life in the cave too. We saw several cave crickets, their legs and antennae so long that they looked like spiders. I had hoped to see bats, but didn't notice any. The most welcome sight however was a red, spotted cave salamander. These only live close to cave entrances, which for us meant only one thing... after six hours underground and a few wrong turns, there was light at the end of the tunnel!