The Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand

We had a busy start to our stay in New Zealand having landed two days late following an un-scheduled stop in LA. Our friends had texted to welcome us to the North Island only to discover we were enjoying wine and cheese with locals at Santa Monica beach! We made it to Hamilton in time for an important cricket match before dragging ourselves to Rotorua to see geysers and thermal mud pools. Next on the list as we made our way southward was Waitomo.

The world renowned Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for anyone travelling round North Island. Waitomo is a Maori word made up of two parts – ‘Wai’ which means water and ‘tomo’ which means hole. The Glowworm Caves are recognised the world over for their stalactite and stalagmite displays with the glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, unique to New Zealand.

You can take a boat ride that meanders along the Waitomo River to the Glowworm Grotto where you can see these tiny creatures radiate their luminescent light. It sounds like a wonderfully relaxing trip and the glow worm lights really are spectacular. We opted for the Black Labyrinth which is a subterranean adventure that involves climbing, black water tubing and leaping through the Ruakuri Cave. You can also tour in this cave by foot as it’s New Zealand’s longest guided underground tour and an experience that has to be seen to be believed. It’s believed the Ruakuri Cave was discovered 400-500 years ago by a young Maori hunting for birds.

We weren’t sure what to expect with Black Labyrinth but we were well catered for by the Black Water Rafting Co. They supplied us with a wet suit, shorts, footwear and a hard hat with a lamp on the top. It was a highly entertaining process which saw us get to know our swiftly – we all looked ridiculous!

With our black rubber tubes in hand, our journey saw us head down a spectacular spiral entrance deep underground. With the sound of waterfalls in the distance, we were able to look at limestone formations and crystal tapestries as well as get up close to the glowworms. They’re quite incredible. The route saw us snake down the river admiring our surroundings and taking leaps of faith over cascading waterfalls. Because it was dark the adrenaline of being pushed out of your comfort zone was something else. Inevitably we slipped off our tubes a couple of times but part of the fun was catching it again. No-one came unstuck and it was an amazing experience. The tour lasted three hours and we emerged in the sunlight of the Waitomo forest where we all got to throw our tubes in the air!

Photographs courtesy of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.