Waitomo Caves

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I've spent the last three days in Waitomo, not far from the west coast, and about three hours south of Aukland. The area is famous for its limestone cave formations, which number in the region of three hundred. Many of these caves play host to an unusual little critter called a glowworm.

The plan was to partake in something called 'blackwater rafting'. This doesn't involve an actual raft, but rather an innertube, which you float on through the caves, gently and peacefully taking in the unground wonders. The weather here has been awful, and my luck continues to grow in strength, since the heavy rain has meant that the trip I planned on taking was cancelled on both Monday and Tuesday (bearing in mind that they usually only get cancelled for around fourteen days a year).

The alternative was slighty more expensive, but dammit, I wasn't going to leave Wanaka without exploring some subterranean landscapes. So I opted for a caving and abseiling trip, which turned out to be an amazing experience.

I was part of a group of about ten people, split into two for the majority of the time spent underground. The total time below the surface was about two hours, and damn, was it tiring!

It began with a 27 metre absail down into the caves (try to imagine, if you will, such a height, and not being able to see the bottom!) This was followed by two smaller descents, both down waterfalls. Without a doubt the scariest thing I have ever done! Especially the waterfalls, always thinking that the water would pull your legs away, as it pounded down on top of you.

After the crazier portion of the trip, we walked through some breathtaking caves. This involved frequently crawling through small gaps, as well as a lot of clambering around, over and under various obstructions.

At the lowest point, we were eighty metres underground, after which we followed the river out, climbing up some banks of rocks, eventually returning to daylight in time for the rain to start once again with a ferocity I have not witnessed before here in New Zealand.

I also visited the more 'touristy' glowworm caves. The glowworms were spectacular, forming an eerie and silent night sky, but the caves I saw on my abseiling trip were undoubtedly more impressive. They also had the added advantage of coming free of the hoards of japanise tourists that plagued the main 'glowworm caves'.

After my action packed day of abseiling down waterfalls, water pounding on my face, legs flailing around as I blindly dropped into the bowels of New Zealand, I decided to spend the evening admiring the countryside above ground by watching Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in the comfort of my hostel's communal area. Sweet.

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Comments

[Matt]

You lucky bugger!!!
Hey dude. You sound like your having a wicked time. I knew you would. That caving thing sound awesome. We're so jealous. Can't wait for the Hobbiton blog! I'm send a proper email soon. I promise! Take care Matt, Nat and Lillie-Rose x