Abaphathi Bokukhanya Abancane BaseNew Zealand

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENEW ZEALAND

KWAKUWUBUSUKU obumnyama bhuqe—bungenanyezi futhi bucwathile. Lapho kukhanyiswa izibani zalapho esasikanise khona, kwaba sengathi sisemthaleni wezinkanyezi ezikhazimulayo. Sehlela echibini elishisayo elisezansi emhosheni omncane. Kwakumilé izitshalo ezinhlangothini zombili zalomhosha. Sangena emanzini saphumula ngemva kohambo olude. Leli chibi, elinamanzi ashisayo aphethuka phansi ngokwemvelo, lalisezindaweni esasilala kuzo lapho kukanisa khona abahamba ngezimoto.

Ngabheka njengoba inkanyezi yayitshuza inqamula esibhakabhakeni ngokushesha. Ngaphenduka ukuze ngitshele umkami ngayo, futhi njengoba ngangiphenduka, ngakhubeka futhi ngashaya amanzi kakhulu. Ngamangala lapho ngingazelele ngibona izinkanyezi eziningana zingasekho—zinyamalele! Futhi lapho ngikhuluma ngokumangala, lonke iqoqo lanyamalala. Kwaba sengathi ngimbe umgodi emthaleni!

Njengoba ngangizama ukucabanga ukuthi kwakwenzekeni, lezi zinkanyezi zabuye zavela ngazinye, futhi manje ngabona ukuthi elinye iqoqo lezinkanyezi lalisondele kakhudlwana kimi kunezinye izinkanyezi. Empeleni, ezinye zazisondele kakhulu kangangokuba ngangingazithinta. Sasihlangene nokhanyikhanyi baseNew Zealand okokuqala ngqá. Babesohlazeni olungabonakali ngaphezu kwethu futhi ukukhanya kwabo okungaxhophi kwakuxubene nokwezinkanyezi ezazibonakala ngemva kwabo.

Ukhanyikhanyi waseNew Zealand awusona isibungu kodwa uyisinambuzane. Uhlukile kokhanyikhanyi bakwezinye izingxenye zezwe. Igama lawo elithi Arachnocampa luminosa lingase likunike umqondo wokuthi uwuhlobo lwesicabucabu esikhanyisayo. Kodwa nalokho akulona iqiniso.

Ngemva nje kokubabona okokuqala labokhanyikhanyi, saphinde sababona eWaitomo Caves esiQhingini saseNew Zealand esiseNyakatho. Ake ngichaze uhambo lwethu lokuya emgedeni wokhanyikhanyi, lapho sayiswa khona isikebhe ukuze siyobona lezi zinambuzane ezincane.

IWaitomo Grotto

UMgede Wokhanyikhanyi uyamangalisa, ukhanyiswe kahle ukuze kubonakale amatshe akhiwe ngobuciko obumangalisayo, alenga ophahleni (stalactite) navele phansi (stalagmite) kulomgede, aye akheka ezinkulungwaneni eziningi zeminyaka. Owayesiqondisa wayekhanyisa izibani lapho sisondela endaweni ngayinye futhi sasimangazwa izinto ezakhekile ezikhangayo nemihubhe—izwe lezimangaliso elingalindelekile nelingavamile ngaphansi komhlaba. Izigi zezinyawo zethu zazenanelwa ngendlela ethusayo lapho siqoqana esiqongweni sezitebhisi ezehlela ebumnyameni. Njengoba amehlo ethu ayejwayelana nobumnyama, saqala ukubona ukubengezela okuncane kokukhanya okuluhlaza phezulu. Okhanyikhanyi!

Safika esakhiweni sokubophela imikhumbi futhi sagibela esikebheni. Sasuka kuleso sakhiwo, sangena ebumnyameni. Khona-ke, njengoba sigudla iguma, lokho engingakuchaza nje ngokuthi ukubonakala okuncishisiwe kwawo wonke uMthala kwavela ngaphezu nje kwethu—uphahla lomphandu lwalumbozwe ngokuphelele okhanyikhanyi. Umlobi uGeorge Bernard Shaw wabiza lendawo ngokuthi “isimangaliso sesishiyagalombili somhlaba.”

Ukhanyikhanyi Ohlaba Umxhwele

Lapho uhambo luphela, indlela owawusimangaze ngayo ukhanyikhanyi yasikhuthaza ukuba sifunde okwengeziwe ngawo. Futhi esakufunda kwakukhanga njengesakubona. Uqala ukuphila njengeqhimiza elincane, eselikhanyisa kakade ngemuva, ukhanyikhanyi waseNew Zealand wakha inetha lojengezi olubushelelezi nosilika ngezindlala ezihlukahlukene ezisemlonyeni wawo bese ulunamathisela ophahleni lomphandu. Leli netha empeleni liwumhubhe leli qhimiza elingehla lenyuka kuwo.

Ukhanyikhanyi udinga ukudla ukuze uphile, ngakho ezinyangeni esiyisithupha kuya kweziyisishiyagalolunye, uyadoba. Kodwa okudobayo kusemoyeni, nakuba kuza kudlula emanzini. Lomzila obalulekile uletha izimbuzane, omiyane, ama-stone fly nama-mayfly, okudonswa ukukhanya. Ukuze ukubambe, ukhanyikhanyi wehlisa imicu eminingi kasilika (ngezinye izikhathi engafinyelela ku-70) iphuma enethini lawo. Emucwini ngamunye kunohlu lwamaconsi anamathelayo ojengezi olubushelelezi agqagqaniswe ngokulinganayo, ngendlela yokuthi lemicu ifane nemigexo emincane yamaparele elengayo.

Ingxenye kakhanyikhanyi ekhanga kakhulu ukukhanya okhanyisa ngako izindobo. Ukhanyikhanyi waseNew Zealand ungoweqembu lezinambuzane ezinokukhanya okungaxhumene nesimiso sezinzwa. Nokho, uyakwazi ukucima ukukhanya ngokuthanda kwawo. Isitho esikhanyisayo sisekugcineni kwemigudu yokukhipha indle futhi ingxenye yesimiso sokuphefumula seqhimiza isebenza ukuhambisa ukukhanya, ikuyisa phansi. Ucima ukukhanya ngokulinganisela umoya-mpilo noma amakhemikhali adingekayo ekwakheni ukukhanya.

Nokho, ukukhanya okusekugcineni komhubhe kakhanyikhanyi akulona uphawu oluletha ithemba isinambuzane esiyisisulu esilulindele. Sindizela ekhethinini elibulalayo lapho ikhemikhali, njengoba abanye besho, lingase libulale imizwa yaso kancane kancane. Lapho lizwa ukunyakaza kwesisulu esizabalazayo, iqhimiza lilengela ngokuyingozi ngaphandle kwenetha bese lidonsela umucu emlonyeni walo, lisebenzisa ukufinyela komzimba walo.

Lapho seliye ladoba futhi lazondla izinyanga eziyisithupha kuya kweziyisishiyagalolunye, iqhimiza liyashintsha bese lijabulela ukuphila njengesinambuzane esidala. Kuyangatshazwa ukuthi impukane endala iyakujabulela ngempela yini ukuphila. Iyothatha izinsuku ezimbili noma ezintathu, ngoba impukane endala ayinawo umlomo ngakho ayikwazi ukudla. Isikhathi sayo esisele isisebenzisela ukuzala. Izimpukane ezindala zezinduna zikhwela ezezinsikazi lapho nje ziphuma emagobolondweni azo. Insikazi ingase ithathe usuku lonke izalela amaqanda ayo, ngalinye ngalinye, ngemva kwalokho ibe isifa. Ngemva kokuba sekuye kwanikela ebukhazikhazini bomthala obubajabulisa kakhulu abantu, umjikelezo wokuphila okuthatha izinyanga eziyishumi kuya kweziyishumi nanye kwalomphathi wokukhanya omncane waseNew Zealand kuyaphela.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Ekhasini elingaphesheya: Ukungena emphandwini wokhanyikhanyi

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Phezulu: Uphahla lomphandu olunokukhanya kokhanyikhanyi

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Ngakwesokudla: Imicu yokudoba kakhanyikhanyi

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

Pictures on pages 16-17: Waitomo Caves Museum Society Inc.