Blackwaterr rafting with maggots with flouresent poo

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Blackwater rafting was unreal!
At first we had to put on the wetsuits,socks,thermal vests,balaclavas,helmets,boots (one white and one black for me) and a harness. This was not pleasent as it was about 8 degrees and the wetsuits were soaking wet and cold.
We headed off in the van to the desent into the cave where tom cruise and the director of lord of the rings had been recently! We had a miniture practise outside with the absailing gear.. and to the instructors delight failed miserably at doing anything correctly. Good start.
But we were allowed to embark on the adventure. There were 5 of us and 2 instructors and we all headed down the 40 meter drop into pitch black. The hole we had to go down was very small. As in my back was on the rock behind me and my nose was basically touching the rock infront! At one point i questioned myself if i was goin gthe right way!! but obviously i was as the rope was following my drop.. luckily. The hole then opened up and i thought i would take this ioppertunity to take a 360 view of my surroundings.. error. Couldnt see the floor, an saw a big hole. But i made it.

We then headed off through the cave climibing over rocks and into small spaces. We then came across a metal bridge over a big hole whihc thankfully we werent going down as i dont think my bra size would have allowed me to go in. We were then one by one clipped onto a rope and told to hold on tight and then pushed off a ledge in pitch black. It was a zip wire through the cave and above were thousands of glow worms lighting up the cave like the glow in the dark stars i had in my room when i was 10.. or more poeticly it looked like a blanket of stars. It was awesome. we would hang there for a bit and then be lowered down by the instuctor. When everyone was done and after recoverding from the words "oh i dont think i did the buckle up correctly" by the very humours leader.. we were treated to hot choc and flapjack under the 'stars'.. looking out over a massiv ledge.. which we all knew that we were goin gto have to jump off.

And this we did... holding onto a rubber ring. So cold. and hilarious when one girl ( ironically looking like a hobbit) lost her shoe. we all saw it float away but couldnt do anything. We then were to swim or struggle as one did to the rope on the side of the rock and pull ourselevs through the caves on our ruuber ring..through the atlas of glowworms. This is where we learnt that glowworms are actually maggots with flouresent poo. yeah. They do this to attract insects and have paralysing spindles of fibre that hang down to catch them. quite cool!
Then it was lights off again and we were all to hold onto the persons feet from behind and we got pulled through the the cave to see the poo in all its glory. We also sang some songs as the vibrations cause the worms to become more active as they think they have caught something. It was soo cool.

Then we trecked and crouched and swam through the caves and had wram orange juice and chocolate! brilliant!
We walked through the gin and tonic tunnel ( the tunnel where it looks like you have had a dozend G+T's as you stuble and fall everywhere) and hit the waterfall we had to climb up! It wasnt even like a little ponsy one where its like a massage when you get under it.. we were under no circumsatnces allowed to go under it unless we wanted to suffer sever pain and possibly get quite injured. eep! At this current point we had to sumerse opurselves under water a bit and go through a small hole to where we were directed individually up the waterfall. Amazing. felt like the aquatic spiderman. I was up in a flash.
It was then a 2nd slightly smaller waterfall then up to the outside world.. although you couldnt tell it was outside as it was pitch black and the stars that were out genuinely looked like the glowworms. We were surrounded by thick vegetation or bush as they call it and back in the van for a hot shower and soup and a bagel.
So worth the money.

Today we left Waitomo and headed for taupo via a nice walk through the bush and one of the entrances to the cave we were in the previous day. And then stopped off at the Angora rabbit shearing shed. These rabbits are hilarious! They look like lions.. albino lions. and soooo soft wonce shaven.. or sheared i should say. But there was no way i was paying $60 dollars for a hat.. no matter how soft.

Then it was to another waterfall but this was so fast.. every11 seconds it would fill up an olympic swimming pool! it was oo blue and so fierce.

Then we watched one member of our bus do a bunjy jump off a lege.. I still havent decided whether i am going to do this you might be glad to know.

Taupo is stunning. The lake that can fit the island of singapore in is a royal blue and is so windy today that there are white horses everywhere.. we were supposed to skydive today but because it is soo windy we cant.. In the distance are snow covered mountains. It beautiful. and is also Mnt doom from lord of thr rings!
Sky diving tomorrow hopefully as we have a free day here. Its so cold.. sunny though which is lovely but i am literally wearing all my clothes. and my newly purchased snow boots as the further we go down the colder and snowier it is!!
eeep!
Ladies night tonight so we are dressing the boys up inorder to win a cash prize 😊

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