Glowing in Tauranga

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2/15/2010
Glowing in Tauranga
Today we were in Tauranga New Zealand which was our last port before we land in Auckland on Wed. Because of the tides the ship didn’t dock till about 10 and our Waitimo Caves and Kiwi House tour left shortly thereafter. It was about a 2 hr drive thru very scenic country but we did run into some fog and rain during the first hour. It was pouring at the short rest stop we had at a café but we headed in to see if they had cokes anyway and they did. The next stop was at a dairy ranch for lunch. It was a very rustic old house that looked somewhat European with very nice gardens. Lunch included lamb, meatloaf, potatoes and several salad selections. Dessert was homemade icecream with warm berries. It had stopped raining which was nice since most of the seating was out on the patios. The couple that owned the farm said they do this a couple times a week during the season.

We then headed to the Kiwi house where they had lots and lots of birds and also a section on the Kiwi. Since they are nocturnal they have the lighting arranged so they think it’s nighttime during the day and can be seen. We even saw two of them fighting. They are a bit larger than chickens with a long narrow straw-like beak. There were vast gardens and aviaries and even a wetlands where the ducks were very raucous.

Next we headed out to see the Glowworm caves. There had been a major fire here in 2005, they believed started in the kitchen, that destroyed the entrance and many support buildings (restrooms, gift shop, ticket booth, restaurant). They’ve been rebuilding since a week after the fire and it appears it will take at least another 5 years to fully recover. We descended into the cavern surrounded by lush greenery. The caves were originally found back in the 1860’s by two brothers coming in from the river. It took a while for our eyes to adjust to the dark. The temperature is 15 degrees Celsius year round (56 degrees Fahrenheit). They had some typical stalactites and stalagmites and some columns, and of course one section they called the cathedral. Then the glowworms were pointed out with their long thread-like extensions. Each glowworm may have a dozen extending down. The glowworm is actually a parasite, but who would ever write a song about a glow-parasite? Then we went even lower in the caves. In the largest room the ceiling is about 15 meters above the ground, which had been layered in square cement tiles except for those places that stalagmites could be found. When we reached the water table, they had aluminum boats that held perhaps thirty people. The guide used an overhead wire to guide the boat through the caves, which was one of the most breathtaking parts of the tour. In the darkness above, the ends of the tiny threadlike extension of the glowworms were illuminated to perfectly simulate a starry night. Everyone on our boat was quiet in hushed amazement. The glowworm uses its threads to capture insects that fly into them, similar to a spider’s web.

On our two hour journey back to the Dam Ship, at least that’s what John’s hat says, we saw an ostrich farm, and got some shots from the bus. We also saw deer and llama farms. The bus driver noted that they will farm anything with feet if there is a market for it. The bus driver was quiet on the return trip and allowed those to snooze who needed it.

We had a late leisurely dinner with couples from Cleveland and Colorado. This is the first table that didn’t think that I should move to LA vs John moving to Ohio. Most of the tables have taken votes and it’s gone the other way.

All in all a very nice last port day. Can’t believe the trip is almost over and that tomorrow we have to deal with packing but plan to enjoy all the last day activities.

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