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Published: January 20th 2008
We set off early today to get a good head start. we went to Raglan centre to have a look around and to check out Wannui Surfers Bay.. Weren't many surfers unfortunately as the waves weren't massive but there were a few! Raglan is a nice surfer town and has a very chilled atmosphere to it - no ones in a rush whcih is always nice! We saw a calf cow legging it down the road as we were driving on .....it's escaping being eaten we decided - the smartest cow in new Zealand!
After checking out the surf we drive down to Waitomo Caves with me back behind the wheel. We chose our caving trip - BLACK LABYRINTH woooooooooo!! The caves are famous for their glow worms! And then found some accom at the YHA before doing our caving! Waitomo has one bar/internet cafe/bottle shop/restaurant so as you can imagine it's very large! One building!
We headed off to so the caving and black water rafting which was BRILLIANT!!! Was so much fun! we had to get litted out in wet suits, boots, helmets, shorts, socks!! We looked well attractive as you can see! We picked out our
rubber tyres which is what you go through the caves in when the water is deep enough and you have to do this by sticking it on your bum and seeing if it falls off! If it fells off it was too small or big. We then had to do a practice jump intot he water outside as there is a 2m waterfall in the cave which you have to jump backwards off! we practised the 'fluffy duck' which is where everyone is in a line and then puts their feet up on the ring in front of them. You then grab the persons feet that is on your ring and hold onto them and raft at the same time. That's so we don't loose anyone in the dark! We had lights on our helmets but we switched them off when going through the caves so you can see the glow worms.
The caving was great, we learnt that glow worms are actually just maggots and it's their poo that glows! they live like that for 6 - 9 months and juts sleep eat and poo and then they cocoon themselves and are born as flies but with one
slight problem - they don't have mouths so can't eat! The males die pretty quickly but the females lasts longer (naturally!) flies around the caves and lays her eggs, she dies and it all happens again! The water was really cold and we had to get in and out of it, climb over things, watch out for big holes under the water that you wouldn't come back up if you fell down them! and clamber up and over and of course do the fluffy duck as well when we were in the caves which had wicked glow worms. The glow worms looked really cool, like stars but green ones! They were everywhere though! the group was funny, there were some Japanese kids and their mum who were hilarious! They couldn't paddle in the water when on the ring so wouldn't move anywhere!
it was great clambering through the caves though and then water - WICKED AFTERNOON AND TRIP!! Take note Laur if you get chance to go! we got free soup and bagels afterwards as well which is always a bonus! Afterwards we did the bush walk near the caves which was cool and then headed back to the
YHA where theres were 4 beds and 3 people already in our room! oopsie! Recpetion had made a cock up so we got a cabin to ourselves with ensuite bathroom - yippeeee! Quite tried from caving so we for one beer, Lou us a bit ill with cold and sore throat so had an early night - nothing exciting! I planned the route back accross to the west tomorrow! (I am a good map reader really, its the roads, thats why we are zig zagging accross the north island!
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