Back in 1887, Maori chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace chose to ignore Maori warnings and to explore the depths of the local river cave. Although they found no displeased gods, the two spelunkers were treated to an otherworldly display of glowworm bioluminescence and dazzling cave formations. Within a year, Tinorau opened the cave for a few visitors to experience the ethereal wonder. Over 100 years later, the glowworm population remains stable, but the number of tourists has soared to nearly 500,000, putting this miniscule hamlet (pop. 300) squarely on the map. Every morning, about 30 tour buses roll into town and, a few hours (and several million glowworms) later, they cruise on out again. While most visitors come for the “light show,” the unique adventure-caving industry attracts its own crowd for trips of varying degrees of difficulty.
Nearly 70% of visitors arrive by bus, and most transportation schedules accommodate same-day arrival and departure. InterCity runs daytrips from Auckland (4hr., 12:30pm, $55-65) and Rotorua (4hr., 9am, $44). The Waitomo Wanderer offers service between Rotorua (7:45am) and Waitomo (3:45pm), with a pre-arranged stop at Wharepapa South. (☎0508 926 337; www.waitomotours.co.nz. 2hr; $40, round-trip $68.) The Waitomo Shuttle is the best option for those making InterCity, Dalroy Express, or TranzScenic connections in Otorohanga, providing pickup from Waitomo hostels. (☎0800 808 279. 15min.; 5 per day.; $10, by arrangement $23.) Although Let’s Go does not recommend it, hitchhiking is reportedly easiest from the junction of Waitomo Caves Rd. and SH3.
The Waitomo i-Site is inside the Museum of Caves. (☎878 7640; waitomoinfo@xtra.co.nz. Internet $1.50 per 15min. Open daily Jan.-Feb. 8am-8pm. Feb.-Easter 8am-5:30pm. Easter-Labour Day 8am-5pm. Labour Day-Jan. 8am-5:30pm.) The post office is inside the museum; card phones and public toilets are outside. Internet is available at the Waitomo i-Site (see above) or at the Long Black Cafe ($3 per 30min., $5 per hr.).
Despite Waitomo’s popularity as a daytrip, overnight accommodations fill rapidly in the summer. Book ahead if you plan on spending the night. For those who want to stay overnight in a converted 1950s Bristol Freighter plane, contact Billy Black at Woodlyn Park . (☎878 6666. $125 per couple, $12 per extra person.)
There are grocery stores in Waitomo, but the best meals lie outside the village proper. If you’re hungry in the village, Cavelands Brasserie and Bar and General Store , next to Waitomo Adventures, serves takeaway breakfast, lunch, and dinner items for $5.50-16.50. (Open daily 7am-7pm. Reduced winter hours. MC/V.)
The holes dotting the green pastures around Waitomo are gateways to a mystical world where neither time nor temperature seem to exist. Centuries are measured by centimeters of change, and the caves stay dark and cool regardless of conditions outside—unless, of course, there’s a flood.
Waitomo Caves. If you are curious to see where all of those tour buses are headed, and eager to empty your wallet, visit the caves that everyone talks about. A stage-like boardwalk traces the dramatically lit formations for a theatrical experience. “The Cathedral” has served as a venue for the likes of Kenny Rogers, the Vienna Boys’ Choir, and Kiwi opera diva Dame Kiri Te Kanawa . The Disney-esque boat ride at the end is so striking that it typically creates the only moments of silence anywhere in the tourist-filled cave. Midday trips bulge with large bus tours. (On Waitomo Caves Rd., 500m around the bend, west of Waitomo village. ☎0800 456 922; www.waitomocaves.co.nz. Tours daily every 30min. 9am-5pm. $33, children $15.)
Aranui Cave. This cave holds a treasure trove of rock formations, and you don’t even have to get your feet wet to see them. (Tours daily every hr. 10-11am, 1-3pm. $30, children $14. Combination trip with the Waitomo Caves $49, children $25.)
Spellbound. A family-friendly interpretative tour brings visitors on a boating journey beneath a canopy of glowworms. (☎0800 773 552; www.waitomospellbound.co.nz. 3hr. 4 per day. $48, children $25.)
Museum Of Caves. Any visit to Waitomo should include a trip to this revamped shrine to all things subterranean. Inside, learn how the caves were formed, contemplate resident wildlife, and take in a multimedia glowworm experience. All of the companies provide a complimentary museum pass as part of their adventure on request. (☎878 7640; www.waitomo-museum.co.nz. Open Jan.-Feb. 8am-8pm. Feb.-Easter 8am-5:30pm. Easter-Labour Day 8am-5pm. Labour Day-Jan. 8am-5:30pm. $6, children free.)
The Shearing Shed. It’s not what you think. Each day visitors are treated to a free, unique experience—a shearing show of Angora rabbits. Native to the Pyrenees, they only survive in captivity. The bunnies are buzzed right before your eyes, but don’t feel sorry for them—they would overheat and die without a regular haircut. (On Waitomo Caves Rd. ☎878 8371. Open daily 9am-4pm. Shearing 12:45pm. Free.)
Woodlyn Park. Farmer, historian, and globe-trotting sheep-shearer Billy Black puts on an entertaining Pioneer Show. Expect animal antics, audience participation, and general agricultural hijinks. (1177 Waitomo Valley Rd., 700m off of Waitomo Caves Rd. ☎878 6666; www.woodlynpark.co.nz. Daily 1:30pm. $20, children $12.) U-Drive Jetboat lets first timers and old pros behind the wheel. Not to worry; the sloping walls of its water course are safely lined with tires. (Open daily 9am-5pm. In summer also open 6:30-8pm. Runs available except during the Pioneer Show. 8 laps $50. Book ahead.)
Always go caving with a guide; never cave solo, even if you are an experienced spelunker. Virtually all caves are privately owned, and trespassing is illegal. Before you suit up, you may want to consider testing yourself for claustrophobia—head to the Museum of Caves and try the cave “crawl-through.” Experienced cavers can to contact Paddy Vetsch, president of the local caving club (www.htg.org.nz), or Kieran McKay at Absolute Adventure (see below).
The training of the guides, gear quality, and safety standards are uniform, but each company operates in a different cave system, giving the tours their own character.
Adventure tours in Waitomo cater to all levels of experience and enthusiasm. Standard protocol for caving involves slapping on a wetsuit and coveralls (or just the coveralls if it’s a “dry” trip), a hard hat with a head lamp, and gumboots. Check if a snack or meal is included, and if you need to bring swimwear, a towel, or shower supplies. Don’t expect many rapids in blackwater rafting. Blackwater rafters float down an underground river in a rubber tube, and any rapids along the way are contingent on heavy rain. Most trips require a minimum number of people to run; advance bookings are essential. Unless otherwise noted, all trip lengths include transport to and from the caves. Time underground and optional adventures (extra abseils, climbs, and jumps) will vary according to the fitness of the group.
For The Faint Of Heart. The emphasis in these trips is on viewing as much of the underworldly formations as possible. Black Magic provides the longest underground glowworm rafting, but a number of artificial structures (including a water slide) mar the beauty of the cave. (CW. 3hr. About 5 per day. $99.) Tumu Tumu TOObing features optional jumps and small rapids to spice up the float. (WA. 4hr. 4 per day. $95.) The progenitor of all underground tubing tours in Waitomo, the Black Labyrinth trip involves a gentle float, a waterfall jump, and the obligatory glowworm sighting. (LBWR. 3hr. 5-10 per day. $90.)
For The Dry And Hearty. St. Benedict’s Cavern features spindly stalagmites and -tites with the added bonus of two abseils (20m and 40m), and a flying fox. (WA. 3hr., 2 per day. $120.) Richie’s Canyon, abseiling 50m into cave known as the “Baby Grand” gives real adventurers a little extra bang for their buck—abseiling twice. This trip is also offered at night, when the lights are turned out for a space walk in a galaxy of glowworms. (CW. 2hr. 4-7 per day. Night tour, 1 per day on demand. $99.) The Lost World Four Hour Abseil features one of the tallest commercial abseils in the world, a 100m free-hanging abseil into an ethereal world of mist and miniature ferns, self-dubbed a “fairyland without the fairies.” The most daunting part of the trip may be stepping out from the 100m high platform or the 27m ladder climb back. Dress for adventure; no denim allowed. (WA. 4hr. 4 per day. $225.)
Absolutely Wet And Heart-Stopping. The next level of cave tours is a cross between Indiana Jones-style antics and being flushed down the loo on a string. These trips require fitness and comfort with tight spaces. The Black Abyss tour includes a 30m abseil, a flying fox, waterfalls, rock climbs, and tubing. (LBWR. 5hr. 3 per day. $175.) The Rap, Raft ’n Rock trip provides a 27m rappel, blackwater rafting, and a 20m rock climb. (RRR. 5hr., 2-4 per day, $125.) Not for the faint of heart, the Haggas Honking Holes includes three abseils (5-22m), plenty of climbing (up to 8m), squeezing, and admirable formations, all at a fast pace. Prepare to get wet, dirty, and exhilarated. (WA. 4hr., about 2hr. underground. 2 per day. $165.) If you’ve got the cash, spend it on the Lost World All Day Epic Adventure. The 7hr. odyssey begins with the epic abseil (see Lost World Four Hour Abseil above), but skips the ladder for swimming, scrambling, wading, and walking a few kilometers upstream, passing through cathedral-high passages. (WA. 7hr. 1 per day. $355; includes lunch and dinner.) Absolute Adventure’s trips are for the serious adventurer seeking the experience closest to genuine caving with a commercial operator. Unlike many other trips, you can lead your own way through portions of the caves, guide in tow. (4hr. $125; 6hr. $175.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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