Our final major adventure stop in NZ was at Waitomo Caves. With limestone rock formations peppered throughout cattle and sheep pasture, one could drive through and do little more than comment on the seemingly random hilly terrain. However, to those who know caves – this region is a playground boasting over 300 caves! With many companies vying for the popular tourist dollar, we did some research prior to booking. There is a large company which takes groups of over 30 into one of the larger caves, however, we chose to go with Spellbound Tours, a small company based out of the general store in Waitomo. Rather than an hour long tour, surrounded by many, we enjoyed over 3 hours in and around the caves with a group of 12. Our tour guide had a great sense of humour and we very much appreciated his interest in getting to know the people in the group and building our love for the caves we were entering. This was Science curriculum at it’s best. Stalagmites, stalactites, columns, glowworms…it was outstanding!
We entered two separate caves – the first was via a path down to a dinghy where we were enthralled by the seemingly bright lights of the glowworms. Glowworms: such a cuddly sounding term. Really, they are fungus gnats which glow during their larval stage. Catching food with delicate silk threads hanging down, it is quite the feat of nature to see millions of these throughout the cave. As we floated down the stream within the cave in complete darkness, the gentle ‘kerplop’ of water droplets combined with the glittering ceiling, it felt as though we were being transported into a totally different world.
The second cave was much different in that we were able to observe many distinct limestone formations due to various entry points of sunlight beaming down, exposing crystallized formations. We enjoyed a traditional Maori song sung by three young girls from Wellington – the acoustics in the cave were beautiful. The boys were not as eager to continue on in song, but managed to hum a few sounds. If you’re headed to Waitomo – we would highly recommend booking with Spellbound Tours!
With our time in NZ quickly coming to an end, we spent one day in Auckland and confirmed that while Auckland is a lovely spot, one does not visit NZ for the cities. We thoroughly enjoyed all parts of our visit to this great country (okay, Wellington wasn’t really a highlight). If you’re planning a trip here – it had better be more than 2 weeks and even at that, be sure that you understand you will only skim the surface of all NZ has to offer! The sites, the outdoor activity, the people…all combine to create an ultimate travel experience! Next for us: South East Asia!
Saying Goodbye
Pitter Patter 
I did my tour through Waitomo with Spellbound too! The caves were so amazing, I’ll never forget those weird little glowy worms. Or the massive weta! Yikes.