Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

Thursday, 7 February 2008

The Waitomo Caves are west of Rotorua and are our last real destination before Auckland. Originally we had hoped to fit in a trip to the Coromandel Peninsula or the Bay of Islands, to the north of Auckland, but we have run out of time.

In Waitomo, we go "blackwater rafting" with the ambitiously- named Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company. To call it "rafting" is slightly misleading as it actually involves tubing (i.e. sitting in something like a tractor tyre) through near darkness in the caves. It's not high octane stuff at all - to get up any momentum you have to hand-paddle through the icy cold murk although there is one jump over a small waterfall that is a bit of a challenge. Probably the most testing bit of the excursion is to find a tyre tube that fits your ass so that you don't pop out. That said, it may not be a fun experience for those who are afraid of the dark, water or tight spaces. Our guides, Chad and Hop, are nice fellows and the highpoint of the experience is when we are told to turn off the torches on our helmets to see a constellation of hundreds of glowworms above us on the cave's ceiling.

If you want to see photos click here.