Pass the Kiwi: Waitomo Caves

On our 5 hour drive home from Auckland we decided to stop at the Waitomo Caves which is about the halfway point. They were SO cool! There are multiple caves to tour, but of course they all cost money, so we picked two. First we went into the glowworm cave, which we unfortunately weren't allowed to take pictures of so I don't have any :( We walked through the cave and then took a short boat ride to look at the glowworms. They are real worms that stick to the top of the cave and something inside their stomach lining makes them glow. They feed on mosquitos and other small bugs from their feeding lines that look like fishing wire hanging down from their bodies. We were asked to remain quiet during the boat ride to fully enjoy the glowworm experience. The cave was as black as night with the worms glowing brightly above us, looking like stars. As corny as it sounds, it really did seem magical :) I can't wait to go back! Next time we are thinking of seeing the caves by raft or inner tubes that go through multiple caves - but I heard there were eels and other crazy things in the river, so I will have to think about it.

The second cave we went to, named Aranui, did not have any glowworms but was just as cool nonetheless. I don't quite understand how they work or what they are made of, but the formations and minerals inside are live and constantly evolving and growing so you can't touch anything. It is crazy that there are things like this that exist in the world. They make you wonder what else is out there. I guess that is why I enjoy travelling so much, because you are always learning and exploring new things that you never thought was possible or even existed.

Entering the second cave.

We tried to take video of the cave but it does not do it any justice. You really have to be there to appreciate its size and sheer awesomeness :) The videos are dark, but better than nothing!