Tour guides are a canny lot. Sometimes, they remind you of that geography teacher in school. Yes, the same one who expected the whole class to know the capital of Papua New Guinea and also point it on the world map.
Tour guides are a canny lot. Sometimes, they remind you of that geography teacher in school. Yes, the same one who expected the whole class to know the capital of Papua New Guinea and also point it on the world map.
Thankfully, Steven is a darling. A Maori, he takes you back to those post-lunch 'periods' in which you were better off playing X&O than learning 'how are caves formed?' and 'what is the difference between stalactites and stalagmites?' Of course, you remember nothing. But Steven is only happy to help. That's his job.
And so, a visit to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves turns out to be a brilliant experience. An hour's drive from Hamilton, it's a one-of-its-kind geological wonder where thousands of glowworms rule the roost. These caves were first explored in 1887 by local Maori chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace. Armed with ropes, ladders and candles, they built a raft of flax stems and floated into the cave where the stream goes underground. In 1989, almost 100 years later, the land and the cave was returned to the descendants of the original owners. Many staff employed at the caves today are direct descendants of Tinorau and his wife Huti. Steven tells us that Tinorau is his "great, great, great grandfather".
As the name suggests, glowworms glow. But a closer look at a colony of these bioluminescent insects shows that they hang silky threads, called food lines, to trap unsuspecting flies and mosquitoes that are attracted to the light they produce.
As Steven walks you through the cave, reminding you that touching the "formations" of limestone accumulated over "30 million years" is not allowed, you play good boy. He then sings you a lovely Maori song in the middle of the cave to show you how sound travels in this well-lit wonder. "Several Opera singers have performed right here. We host Christmas parties in the cave," he informs. Wow!
Ever gone on a boat ride in a cave? Well, that's what you have to do to take a good, close look at the glowworms. Again, Steven tells you not to utter a word. Imagine 30 journalists staying mum for 15 minutes! Steven is capable of more than that. Actually, it also had to do with the utter beauty of the ceiling of the caves with glowworms radiating their characteristic fluorescent green lights.
As the eyes saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, Steven bid us goodbye. After lunch, the bandwagon moved to the nearby Ruakuri Cave.
According to Maori legend, this cave was discovered 500 years ago by a young Maori hunting for birds. He was attacked by wild dogs just outside the original cave entrance. Reopened in 2005, this cave is now an amazing example of engineering and natural cave structure. This cave offers a blend of Waitomo's most compelling subterranean experiences. A spectacular spiral entrance welcomes you. The pathways are narrow and touching the formations can make you poorer by NZ$10,000. The limestone formations in this cave resemble curtains and shawls. One such area in the cave apparently resembles the throne room of the Buckingham Palace. It's a joke, of course. Glowworms are fewer in number, but there is some serious adventure here. Those interested can go black water rafting deep inside the cave.
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