Glowworm Caves

The Glowworm Caves are famous in Waitomo, New Zealand. Far into the caves there are billions of glowworms that produce a light. It looks like a clear starry night if you didn't know you were underground. Mom, Dad, and I drove south from Auckland to visit these. (Dad will probably get mad because I said "we drove" when he did all the driving).

We saw two different caves -- the official Glowworm Cave and another called Ruakuri Cave. The first glowworm cave was very cool. We were in a big group and I got a refresher course on stalagmites and stalagtites. I was nervous that I would get claustrophobic but they were surprisingly spacious. There was one part called the "cathedral" that was probably two stories high. The second leg of the Glowworm Cave was a boat ride. We had to ride in silence in the pitch black. This may sound creepy but we welcomed the silence after a misbehaving child screamed the whole way through. As we navigated through the waters, the glowworms were visible everywhere. There were billions of little sparkley dots on the walls of the caves which reflected in the water.

The second cave was even cooler. This tour was much smaller so we were able to take our time. On either side of the walkways were the most unique shape of limestone. The guide explained that there were different types- like popcorn, ribbon, coral, etc. These rock formations were extraordinary. There were lights that highlighted the details of each one.

While walking through, I kept getting dripped on. Sometimes in my eye, other times on my head. The guide said it was good luck. Towards the end I started wearing my hood. The route that we walked through was an old river. The water had created canals and through many years of erosion it found a different path. It was so cool to see the magnitude of them.

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