Fairy Cave

Much of the Fairy and Royal Cave portions of the Dukes system consists of a flat-roofed epiphreatic passage at Level A (Fig. 4) the roof is a few meters above the level of the bed of Fairy Creek outside the cave. At one stage in its history this passage was almost completely filled with bedded fluvial sediments. Subsequently, the stream flowing through the cave has removed most of the sediment fill, although remnants are present in many places. Flowstone has covered much of this remaming sediment, but banks of unconsolidated material are exposed in the walls of the cave at several sites. 

Compositionally, the cave sediments match the stream sediments in the bed of Fairy Creek, particularly the pebbles and cobbles, which are predominantly rhyolitic volcanics. 

Behind the toucan there is a Yakumama, a water snake called upon by the shaman to help heal patients. Near the shaman there is an anguila mama [electric eel] with three vegetalistas, a toad, and a salamander riding on its back. In the centre of the painting we see ayana-sirena [black mermaid], who kidnaps human beings and takes them to deep caves under the water. Several atun-huarmi [fairies] are surrounding the shaman. They come from Saturn. 

It was not until much later that I realised this reaction to be depressingly similar to the dragon s cave in the fairy story although the footprints of many workers could be seen to go in, none appeared to come out. 

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