Waitomo Caves
- by chrismoore
If you want adventure but at the same time see some of the most spectacular pearls of nature at the same time, this is the activity for you!! Waitomo Caves is where some of the largest populations of Glow-worms can be seen in the world. Glow-worms are essentially maggots that burn with a bright light as they burn their waste. They attach themselves to the ceilings of the caves for it is a moist damp environment, one in which they thrive. Glow-worms can only really be seen in Australia and New Zealand so if you are passing through the North Island of New Zealand, a stop off at Waitomo Caves is a must!
Many tour companies offer trips into the caves and all will offer a variety of activities. All of which will involve a viewing of the Glow-worms, but be careful for different companies have different amounts of Glow-worms. The activities on offer include: Abseiling, Rafting, Fox Lines or Zip Lines, Rock Climbing and of course different difficulty Caving and Pot-Holing. Different combinations of these activities will be offered by different companies so it is best to pick a company offering a combination that best suits you.
We booked with a company called Rap, Raft n Rock. They are a great deal cheaper than other companies but that is because they are a privately owned company. Many of the companies have affiliations with the Kiwi Experience and Magic buses so can charge higher rates knowing travellers will be brought to them! Rap, Raft n Rock offer a five-hour tour of the caves involving a 27-metre abseil into the caves (Be careful, for some companies offer bigger abseils that don’t actually take you into the caves. The abseil is situated outside of the cave!), black water rafting, seeing the glow-worms and a rock climb out of the caves. The abseil and rock climb is mandatory for it is the only way in and out of the cave!
All the different companies operate in different cave sections. Rap, Raft and Rock’s cave has one of the largest populations of glow-worms and they can boast that David Attenborough has even filmed inside their caves!
We arrived at the office of the caves not really knowing what to expect! We drove for some ten minutes and soon were in our caving equipment (A wetsuit, helmet, bright trousers and a lovely pair of wellies). We then drove on to the cave entrance. First on our list of activities was the 27-metre abseil. The abseil is the only way to get into the cave and it is quite nerve racking! The cave below is dark and you can’t see how far you have to fall but the guides are very reassuring and with a deep breath you are down in no time.
One of the best things about The Rap, Raft and Rock Company is that they run small groups, with a maximum of 5 or 6 people. This ensures that your time in the cave isn’t waiting around for people to complete abseils and rock climbs. Many of the more expensive tours quote longer times in the cave but often take groups of 12 to 15 people so a lot of time is spent waiting around.
After the abseil it’s on with your headlamps and into the caves. The water was up to our waist but our guide told us that it has been known to rise as high as your chest. You walk for about half an hour inspecting the glow-worms and the many eels in the water. We cam to a large opening and our guide counted down from five. On one we all turned off our lamps. Glow-worms lighted up the entire cave. It was an amazing site. As we waited our eyes adjusted and we could see an increasing amount of the fascinating little creatures. The guide gave us a large talk about the glow-worm before we moved on to do some extreme caving.
Our group was asked whether anyone didn’t like confined spaces and when we all said no, the guides eyes filled with delight. He threw us into the deep end and it wasn’t long until we were pulling our over sized German friend from a tight crevice. Great Fun!!
Next it was time for the black water rafting. We hopped on to a black rubber tube and turned our lights off, sat back and relaxed as the current took us deeper into the cave. There were a few rapids and I will admit that I fell into the cold water, much to the amusement of the group! When we reached the end of the network we sat and had some great chocolate and a hot drink. I strongly believe that it will be the best chocolate you ever have, much because of the setting and how hungry you will be.
After our short break it was time for some more caving. You really will get a taste for some ‘real’ caving. You will have to crawl and climb through some tiny gaps. For some of the gaps you cant help but ask the guide if its possible to get through there, and I can assure you that your heart will be racing for the entire time!!
When you make it back to the entrance you will be pretty relieved to see some daylight and will think ‘that was great fun!’ Then you will realise that you have to rock climb up a cliff face to get out! It’s pretty daunting when you first see it. Watching our guide fly up there like a spider did help but it was still pretty nervy. It was a great satisfaction to finally get out of the cave! An excellent day by all accounts!
For more information on Waitomo Caves check out Rap, Raft n Rock’s website!!
February 13th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Great Blogging matey! Very Jealous!
May 4th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
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