Final Day of the Kepler & Glow worms

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Fiona and Susan want to finish early so they can head off to Queenstown late morning, so it is an early start for us at 6am, and my alarm clock wakes me as I am in such a deep sleep. My bag is packed and ready to go, so again dressing with only a torch is tricky but I am soon downstairs eating my breakfast, with what must be the best breakfast scenery I have ever seen. The hut is above the clouds and the sun is rising with the mountains across the lake (Murcherson mountains) as the back drop – beyond stunning.

When the other two are ready we set off, and quite a fast pace to start, I am almost jogging to keep up, ignoring the pain from my feet! We settle into a better pace fairly quickly and the views as we stay above the cloud and the sun continues to rise are just beautiful.

We soon head back into the beach trees and start descending, though gradually which is nice, and head through the clouds. The time passes fairly quickly as we all chat away, and before we know it we are at Broad Bay, and within an hour of that at the control gates, marking the end of the track!

We get back to their car, to find the remote locking wont unlock the car. The key opens the driver’s door, but no other, and the engine has an immobiliser fitted so it won’t start either. Luckily the hire car policy has AA cover on it, so the mechanic is with us in under an hour (luckily one lives in Te Anau and doesn’t have to come from the next nearest town of Queenstown or Invacargil – both around 2.5hrs drive away). It turns out the interior car light was left on and it drained the battery, so with a quick jump start we were soon on our way, and I was back at the hostel by 11am – fantastic. I had an amazing shower, clean clothes and felt totally refreshed, I snuck a peak at my blisters, no wonder my feet were painful, both blisters had completely reformed….I am going to be wearing flip flops for a while!

This afternoon, after doing some laundry, I left out to dry on the line in the sunshine and headed off to the Sandfly café and treated myself to a very nice and very chocolaty ice cream milkshake and lapped up the sunshine myself and absorbed myself in my book.

This evening I headed off on the glow worm caves trip, apparently it has to be experienced, so as the end of my time in Te Anau is nearing, tonight is the night. The boat leaves at 9pm and we head across the lake to the caves which takes around 20mins.

We are given a brief chat about the glow worms: Glow-worms make sticky silk threads which hang like fishing lines and the glow of the glow worm occurs through bioluminescence. The point of the glow is to attract the midges and flies they feed on. These insects get attracted to the glow, and then fly towards it, getting stuck in the silk threads hanging below. A poison is sent by the worm through the silk thread which liquefies the insects insides, the liquid is then sucked out by the glow worm, and this is how they feed!

Glow-worms are the larvae (maggots) of a species of fly called a fungus gnat, taking 6-9 months to be fully grown at 3-4cm. Once fully grown the larvae become covered in a cocoon, and after 2 weeks in the cocoon they emerge as the fly. As a fly they have to no mouth so they can’t feed, and thus reproducing and then dying a few days later! What a lot of effort just for a few days!

Anyhow, in small groups we then head into the cave. There isn’t much room and you almost have to crawl through some sections, but inside it is beautiful. Stunning waterfalls, and smooth rock all around, which has been formed due to the constant flow of water over thousands of years. Once deep in the cave, we board a tiny rowing boat, and in total darkness we are rowed through the cave, the ceiling littered with hundreds of tiny shining lights, which can only be compared to tiny twinkling stars in a dark sky. It is so pretty, and in the cave in the darkness and silence it feels so tranquil – a very pleasant evening.

I get back to the hostel just after 9pm, heading straight for my bed, only to find there is someone in it!! All the other beds are made up and have peoples things on them; and the things from what was my bed are now in the corner of the room! Luckily there is someone still at reception, and they confirm I am definitely supposed to be in that room, and they can’t work out who the mystery guest is. But as there is one, they move me to the only other bed available…..a private room with a double bed! I feel like I have hit the jackpot, especially after sleeping in huts the last few nights of 40 people! I quickly settle in and enjoy the luxury!

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Comments

[Debbie Cull]

Glow worms
Hi Kate, the photos of the Glow worm are amazing, something I have never seen. I like your reward, you definately deserved it. The trek sounds fantastic, what memories you will have. Hope you have lots of lovely sleep in your double bed. Love Debbie x