The Waitomo Glowworm Caves

The Waitomo Caves are a magical underground wonderland on the North Island, a labyrinth of limestone caverns whose star attraction is the glowworm grotto. Here the cave ceilings glitter like a night sky with the blue-green bioluminescent light of thousands of tiny glowworms, unique to New Zealand. Visitors drift silently by boat beneath this living galaxy in the dark, or explore the wider caves by walkway, black-water rafting and abseiling.

History

The name comes from wai, "water", and tomo, "hole" or "shaft". In 1884 the local Māori Tane Tinorau showed the surveyors Laurence Cussen and Fred Mace where the stream enters the cave, and in December 1887 Tinorau and Mace rafted in by candlelight and found the Glowworm Grotto; by 1889 Tinorau and his wife Huti were guiding visitors for a fee, electric lighting came in 1926, and in 1989 the land and cave were returned to the original owners (Wikipedia, Waitomo Glowworm Cave).

What you'll find

• The glowworm grotto - the ceiling glittering with thousands of glowworms.
• The boat ride - the silent drift beneath the living galaxy.
• The limestone caverns - the stalactites and formations of the caves.
• Black-water rafting - the adventurous tubing through the caves.

When to go

Year-round; the caves are a constant temperature and the glowworms glow in any season, so it is a reliable all-weather attraction. Tours run throughout the day; going early or late avoids the biggest coach-tour crowds.

What to expect

It is very popular, so the main boat tour can feel rushed and crowded with coach groups, though the glowworm grotto itself is genuinely magical and silence is enforced. Photography is not allowed on the boat, protecting the experience. For something more adventurous and less crowded, the black-water rafting tours are excellent.

Nearby

Hobbiton and Rotorua are within reach on the North Island.

Key facts