Waa, the tides up!

The tide was supposed to be against us from the get go, but while I waited on the grassy bank watching rowers pass to and fro, the outfall was surprisingly un-flooded at this hour. We were happy to seize upon this good fortune.

I knew full well the tide wasn't going to flood us, and there were alternative exits besides the outfall I was interested to try anyhow.

Aydun arrived and we waited for prying eyes to go elsewhere before we dropped into the outfall and got out of sight of the entrance.

Before long we came to a nice little porthole flooding afternoon light into the tunnel.

I had seen this spot in someone else's photos and inquired as to whether it was natural light or otherwise. The response I got was that I knew where it was, and should go check for myself. Fair enough I suppose. It was nice to come past here in the daylight and settle the question in my mind at last.

Further up stream we got to the hobo room, as some call it. It's a nice little chamber where you can climb up and see the outside world, through some missing bricks come ventilation holes.

I promptly lit it up with a nasty yellow pinging ball.

While Aydun was photographing in the hobo room, I took the the opportunity to snap shoot some of the unique mushroom shape we had just come through.

It looks like it was a capped culvert, but what a strange culvert shape it must have begun it's life as.

Further in we found this great old pipe following up the drain. I assume it was once a water pipe, but perhaps something else. It's was great to see it and get some shots, as its another of those places you see in other drainers photos, and mark in your mental wish list of places to visit.

We tired of the pipe and sloshed off to a box section. All the while Aydun hacking up a lung.

The caustics in these places where there's is a shallow pool of water on the floor are beautiful. I wish there was a way to capture how the light played all around from the torches and our splashing feet as we walked along.

Arriving at our destination, a spot where another friend and I had previously interrupted the busy pavement and it's occupants (a Cave Clans idea of a fun exit) the noxious smell was absent this time. We peered through the gutters at passers by and overheard snippets of conversations as people hurried along, before we turned back and decided to head for the outfall.

On the way back I shot a few spots I had missed on the way in, including this great tube and it's curve.

Aydun waited patiently... Hack, hack.

Before we quite arrived at the outfall, I made one last stop to capture some of the brick near the outfall. You can just see the outfall and tide under my knee. On inspection of the outfall, which had a small waterfall and a drop of about half a meter as it exited to the river. We decided it had risen more than we would like and we didn't want to get soaked as there were far more plans for the evening.

We headed back up to the hobo room for our exit. After some time with Aydun checking the ventilation holes for signs of life and me swatting at spiders around the manhole, I heaved it partly out onto the concrete, crushing my pinky finger in the process and emerged swearing under my breath. Gear appeared in the black circle and I quickly transported it to the world of the light. Aydun emerged a second later and we could hear people talking nearby. I pushed the concrete cover back into place with a echoing clamor sure to wake the dead and we promptly made for the road, without a backwards glance.

Nursing my throbbing finger as we made our way to Aydun's car, it was strange being outside again. It always feels so surreal to emerge into the light after being under, even if at this point there was not much light left to speak of.