Waitomo Caves Tourism Information
Waitomo Caves is one of New Zealand's top tourism destinations, attracting multitudes of travellers worldwide.
Located in the heart of King Country, the region offers a smorgasbord of adventurous and fun activities to enjoy.
From blackwater rafting, to Kiwi culture shows, you won't have a chance to get bored here.
The caves of Waitomo are well known for their stalagmite and stalactite displays, which adorn the massive subterranean caverns. Millions of glowing worms add their presence to this eerie labyrinth.
The magnificent glow-worm display is caused by the larval form of a small insect (Boletophila luminosa) which, when mature, is similar in appearance to a large mosquito.
The larval grub, which has a lamp in its posterior segment, moves within a silken web, from which depend several threads, delicately beaded with a mucous substance to catch the midges that hatch in the mud of the stream below.
The glow-worms are sensitive to light and to noise, and when disturbed they extinguish their glow and withdraw their threads. The scene, viewed in silence and darkness from a boat, is of indescribable beauty.
The first exploration was made in 1887 by a surveyor accompanied by the Maori owner of the land on a raft of karori (flax) stems on the underground river.
The long galleries are noted for the beauty of their stalactite and stalagmite formations, but even more so for the famous glow-worm grotto, a unique spectacle that attracts visitors to Waitomo caves from far and wide.
The magnificent glow-worm display is caused by the larval form of a small insect (Boletophila luminosa) which, when mature, is similar in appearance to a large mosquito.
The larval grub, which has a lamp in its posterior segment, moves within a silken web, from which depend several threads, delicately beaded with a mucous substance to catch the midges that hatch in the mud of the stream below.
The glow-worms are sensitive to light and to noise, and when disturbed they extinguish their glow and withdraw their threads.
The scene, viewed in silence and darkness from a boat, is of indescribable beauty.
The Aranui Cave, is said to be the most beautiful of the three for the delicacy of the stalactite formation, built up over centuries by the slow but constant drip of water from the roof of the cave, each drop bearing its minute contribution of carbonate of lime, a part of which is deposited before it falls, and a further part left behind at the point where it reaches the floor.
Waitomo in Maori, means water hole and can be translated as the 'stream which flows into the hole in the ground'.
If you have time to spare, then a trip to the beautiful, coastal towns of Kawhia and Aotea only a scenic hours drive away, is well worth the time and effort.
There you can find natural hotpools bubbling out of the oceanbeach sands, heritage cruises and one of the best horseback riding adventures in the country.
Search the following links for further information on Waitomo.