Ruakuri Cave

Ruakuri is the longest of the Waitomo tour caves and the one with the most interesting entrance problem. The natural entrance is beside an urupa, a burial ground, and is wahi tapu; the cave was closed for years while access was resolved, and the solution was to build an entirely new way in - a spiral ramp descending fifteen metres into the rock some distance from the original mouth. It is also why the cave is fully wheelchair accessible, unusual for a wild-formed cave anywhere. Inside are about 1.6 kilometres of walkway past glowworms, a subterranean waterfall, and formations along an underground river, with the tour lit low so the glowworms read. The land and the cave are under the guardianship of the Holden family and local Ngati Rereahu, and the guides tend to give more of the cultural history than at the neighbouring caves. Black-water rafting trips run through other parts of the same system.

What you actually see

• The spiral entrance - a fifteen-metre ramp cut to avoid the tapu entrance.
• The glowworms - along the underground river.
• The waterfall - inside the cave, on the walkway route.
• The accessible route - the full 1.6 km is step-free.

When to go

Any season - it is underground and a constant temperature. Book ahead in summer; tours run to fixed times and sell out.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only, ticketed, and not cheap. It is cool and damp - bring a layer. Photography is restricted in the glowworm sections. The original entrance is wahi tapu and not part of the tour.

Nearby

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Aranui are next door; Marokopa Falls and the natural bridge are west.