Every explorer at heart must visit the Waitomo Glowworm Caves when they visit New Zealand. Located on the North Island of New Zealand, these caves are home to Arachnocampa luminosa, a glowworm species that are unique to this country Down Under.
As you venture underground on a guided tour, you are welcomed to magical caverns ornamented with stalactites and stalagmites, and spectacularly lit by thousands of these glowworms with their luminescent light. You'll feel like you are cruising through space as you get a boat ride through these enormous caverns with millions of light surrounding you. These stalactites and stalagmites were formed by the action of water on limestone over hundreds of thousands of years.
While you marvel at these majestic surroundings, an expert guide provides informative commentary on the caves' historical and geological significance. Travel through time as you meander underground along the Waitomo River, and become a part of over 120 years of cultural and natural history as you listen to get to know more about these caves.
These caves were long known to Maori. The first Pakeha to explore them was surveyor Fred Mace in 1887. Today three caves are open to the public - the Glow-Worm Cave, Ruakuri and Aranui, apart from the self-guided Piripiri Cave which is situated a 30-minute drive away, and best explored with a torch and solid footwear, as the ground is slippery and steep.
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves claims that they boast “knowledgeable guides, many of whom are local people who parents and grandparents have guided in the caves, lead each tour group. Through their story telling the history, features and legends of the cave are brought to life.”
The tour operator also explains that there are two cave levels. “Formed over 30 million years ago there are two levels to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves which are 16 metres apart. The upper level is dry and includes the entrance to the cave, and formations known as the Catacombs, the Pipe Organ and the Banquet Chamber. The lower level consists of stream passages and the Cathedral.”
When you start the tour, stairs lead down to the 14-metre high Cathedral, which “is on the lower level of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and, at 14 metres in height, this is the largest cavern. It is world-renowned for its superb acoustics, which are due to the enclosed shape and rough surface. Many famous singers and choirs have performed here and have been delighted with the purity of the sound.”
One of the wonders of Waitomo is The Tomo. “It is a 16 metre vertical limestone shaft which marks the course of an ancient waterfall which today on flows during heavy rains. The dramatic vertical drop is carefully lighted to show the scalloped walls and the layers of limestone. The Tomo was the last feature of the cave to be formed and links the upper level of the Waitomo River below.”
The tour operator is concerned with providing the best service possible to all cave visitors at the same time as they protect this natural wonder, which is why they have listed a set of guidelines, which include: “Please do not touch formations. Stalactites and stalagmites take a long time to form. They take a long time to form. They are easily discoloured by people touching them and the more fragile formations can break. Please help us protect the beauty of the cave; to protect the cave atmosphere and for the enjoyment and consideration of others, we are that you do not smoke in the cave; all photography is strictly forbidden. This includes non-flash photography and video; keep quiet at all times, especially in the boat and on the jetties.”
Located in the northern part of King Country, named that way because of its connection with the Maori King Movement, Waitomo is not only famous for its caves and glowworm grottoes, but also for being a hotbed for black-water rafting, which is also underground and in the dark. It seems that most of Waitomo's adventures are underground. One of the most recommended tour operators is Waitomo Adventures, which not only offers a two-hour black-water journey but also various permutations of abseiling down underground holes and waterfalls, as well as a seven-hour Lost World adventure that allows visitors to abseil in and walk, swim and climb out.
This tour operator also offers tours through the spectacular St Benedicts Caverns, which were discovered recently in 1962 and long inaccessible to anyone but speleological specialists.