Standing at the Gates of Hell

Who'd have thought they'd have been galvanised steel ?

Best Viewed Large On Black

See where this picture was taken.

View all photos taken: Sunday, 16th December 2007, This photo: 2:27pm

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Comments

  • James Ottaway said:
    It definitely looks very gloomy.

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  • MichelleLegg.com said:
    what a great angle this photo has been taken on. I'm sitting here waiting for the bats to come rushing out!!
  • Cyron said:
    Awesome feel to this shot...
  • BigBean said:
    i do hope you didn't go in!!
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  • David de Groot said:
    Excellent :) That's the plan.

    Alas the bats were small and swift, and afraid of the light.

    Danke :)

    I did indeed - I have therefore stepped over the threshold of hell and returned to tell the tale (or something like that)
  • The Sage of Shadowdale said:
    ...and they're open for you too. ;-)
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  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    ominous...
  • David de Groot said:
    As always!

    Indeed.
  • leadegroot said:
    So... this would mean Greg is looking back out to the upperworld?
    www.flickr.com/photos/hojucandy/2120493704/
    :)
  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    yes - shaun and i ventured the entire length of the tunnel - shaun lagging behind in case there were hidden pitfalls... out the other end there was no more to see than at this end, except that the gates were further inside the tunnel.
  • Xenedis said:
    You sent Kara in first, right? Ladies first, and all...
  • David de Groot said:
    Quite so!

    I hung back as Aleks didn't want anything to do with the bats.

    But of course, but she stopped when it was pointed out the soft squishy stuff she was walking on wasn't mud.
  • petepothole said:
    I'm not going in there!
  • looby88 said:
    I'm going to the other place !! oh yes : )))
  • David de Groot said:
    That's why I sent the girl in first ;-)

    Ah well yes I'm inclined to agree.. after all the gates of hell seem to be soft and squishy with bat poo...
  • looby88 said:
    hence the song by meatloaf I guess -" bat out of hell" or whatever it was called........
  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    i really liked the tunnel. i used to do a lot of caving way back in the 70's ( search my photostream for "cave"). as we walked fdown the hill towards the tunnel entrance i caught my first whiff of the bat guano and it was a nostalgic feeling. funny how smells are so evocative.
  • Jack High said:
    Great atmosphere. Viewed large on black it looks quite "gothic" as in "American Gothic". A wonderful effect.
    As an aside - I wonder if bat poo is good on the vegies, free source possibly worth exploring.

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  • David de Groot said:
    Yeah, something like that (not a Meatloaf fan myself).

    I must say, I've smelt worse things than bat guano (the truck full of bigs that passed us at Evergreen for instance).

    I think it's high in phosphorous (either that or sulphur), can't remember exactly. However, it'd hardly be free, since this little trip used most of a tank of diesel (or about $50 worth), that and it's a National Park, so you couldn't actually remove the guano anyway. You also run the risk of being scratched by one of the bats and potentially contracting the deadly Lyssavirus.
  • Jack High said:
    Mmm, okay, perhaps we should just stick with the fact it's a great image with lots of atmosphere ;-)
  • The Central Scrutiniser said:
    fortunately i am vaccinated against lyssavirus (rabies) as i often work with bats.

    as for guano - yes it is excellent fertiliser and used to be mined in immense quantities from bat caves, particularly in the rockhampton area.
  • leadegroot said:
    so... I assume your plan was to throw yourself in the way if a bat appeared to be going to bite one of my poor innocent children, eh?
    (FTR, I'd like to point out that at no time was it mentioned that the kids were going to be taken into vampirism territory!!!)
    ;)
  • Misteriddles said:
    I love bats. They're like chihuahuas with wings. :)
  • David de Groot said:
    hehehe chihuahuas with wings, great description!