Waitomo Top 10
We had a busy day here in Waitomo. Our day began with a 10am tour of the famous glow worm cave, a short walking distance from our campground. After we parted with a nice sum of money, we were led on tour of a very interesting cave. Sure, it has stalagmites and stalactites, but it also has an underground river running through it, and even cooler than that, thousands of little glow in the dark worms that hang from the cave ceiling.
The glow worms are actually the larvae stage of a fly, but who cares. They are truly spectacular to view. Ask Ron. The 45 minute tour was just the right length for our kids. The last 10 minutes were the highlight, where we sat in a little boat on the river and floated into a cavern where the glowworms looked like the stars in the sky on a moonless night. We were not allowed to take any pictures, so you will have to believe us that it was really neat.
We returned to the campground for a bit more playground and then I set off on a personal adventure of black water rafting. The idea is to traverse an underground river with nothing more than a wetsuit, headlight, and an inner tube. Twelve of us plus two guides had a great time under ground in the Ruakuri cave. The water was about 12C, really cold, so the 5mm long johns plus 6mm jacket were really helpful. We got to see glow worms from up close, twice jump backwards into waterfalls, and at the end find our way out of the cave without headlights, using only the glowworms as our navigational guides. A unique and fun experience.
In the afternoon, reunited family, we hiked a beautiful bush-walk near the Ruakuri cave. Although it was one of the prettiest hikes we have done in a while, it was also one of the most annoying. The kids, in perfect timing, took turns crying and nagging, mostly about nothing. On top of that, we made a strategic error of bringing the stroller with us. With too may stairs and narrow passages through tunnels, I was carrying the stroller more than it was carrying Shir and Orr. What a nightmare. A shame, because the forest, river, bridges, and various cave openings were potential for a really amazing walk.
We returned to the campground, where the playground proved panacea for all the children’s woes. And a glass of wine with dinner, to the parents’.
Tomorrow morning we hit the road again, to
Good Night,
-Hemi