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The Black Abyss at Waitomo Caves was for me the most fun and interesting activity I have done so far; though it's not for the faint hearted!
David and I were up at 6.30 today to get the 2 hour bus from Rotorua to Waitomo (home of glow worm caves) to go to the Black Water Rafting company.
The company offers various options and The Black Abyss is the most challenging but (I think) most fun, taking 5 hours in total. Our group consisted of eight people with two fun guides.
Once kitted out in wetsuit, wetsuit jacket, booties, rubber boots, harness, helmet with headtorch (and balaclava and wetsuit gloves for the other girl and I!) we abseiled 30m down into a cave.
(Luckily you couldn't see the bottom since it was dark and we had to pass through a narrow rock 'throat').
We then took a flying fox zip wire into the dark before having had tea/coffee and cave cookie (like flapjack). Next step, you hold a rubber ring to your behind and jump off a 10ft rock ledge into the cold, black cave water (getting engulfed, with the water running down into your wetsuit, ha!)
You then raft/wade through the glow worm caves, and on the way back raft up in a line and get towed by the guide so you can look up at the fantastic, starlike view.
Educational bit: Glow worms produce long sticky threads that are designed to catch insects attracted to the light that they produce. Noise alerts them to potential food, so if you created a loud noise (as the guide did) they all glow brighter.
Glow worms are actually fly lavae, which survive most there lives in that state (eating each other if they get too close). When they change into an adult fly they are unfortunately left without a mouth or stomach, hence die of starvation within 1-3 days (if they do not fly into the glow worm threads first!) Hence the sole purpose of this stage is reproduction! -
We then got rid our rubber rings and waded (at various depths) and scrambled through the caves. The caves started out wide but got narrower as we had to scramble through tunnels and gaps.
Towards the end (having been fed hot sugary lemon drink and Cabbury's chocolate) we climbed up two small water falls
within cave tunnels (with the help of the very experienced guides) and made our way to daylight.
One the way we saw fossils, large live eels and cave insects that look like large crickets.
The entire experience (including having to manouvere when head to toe in wetsuit gear and later get it off to pee halfway through the cave adventure!) was brilliant. I spent much of it giggling!
The guides took an underwater camera - so photos are to follow when I'm on a computer with CD rom.
An utterly fantastic and unique experience (I know I'm repeating myself but I had a great time!) For the less adventurous there is a more tame Black water rafting trip along with glow worm boat trips and dry walks.
For anyone heading to NZ, visit the Waitomo Caves!
P.s. Spent several hours yesterday at the Polynesian Spa in Rotorua indulging in four thermal hot pools and a half hour full body massage with water treatment and coconut oils. Beautiful!
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Sue Jones
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Not for me
What an amazing experience but not for the fainted hearted and claustrophobic like me. How are you going to top this? Just don't tell me until you have done it. Love Mum