Waitomo
October 6th
The trip to Taupo brought us to within a 2-hour drive of Waitomo and the cave-dwelling GLOWWORMS! The Waitomo region is largely agricultural with numerous dairy and sheep farms. The rolling hills sit upon a limestone bedrock that is easily dissolved by the numerous underground and surface streams. The dissolution of the limestone has resulted in an expansive network of caverns and sinkholes. Sadly, many of the cave entrances/sinkholes are first discovered when livestock goes missing.
The caves are impressive in and of themselves but when we explained to the kids that they contained 'glowing worms' they finally agreed to allow us to pry them away from playing Life and go see them in person.
We had read the glowworms are at their brightest in a quiet cave. So with a 7-month-old in tow and 3-year-old who will spontaneously share her life story with the check-out lady, we thought it would be wisest to opt for a small group tour in order to minimize our impact on others if things went sideways on a boat inside a cave.
The small tour uses a remote cave on a private farm, so after a 45-minute bone-jarring drive over bouldered roads in the back of a van, Carrie and I were wondering how well we were doing at playing the game of life.
A short hike led us from the parking spot down to the cave entrance and upon our arrival we were met by a few eels begging for food. The tour guide placed a few bits of meat out for them to eat and they were happy to let us pet them. Very friendly eels here in Waitomo.
After gearing up we were given an informative pass through Glowworm 101. Found only in NZ and Australia, glowworms are in fact not worms, but the larval stage of the fungus gnat (try marketing that to tourists). The worm-like larvae use their glowing lights to attract prey to their sticky silk-like threads. Similar to a spider's web, the threads are covered in droplets of mucus that will trap and hold any inquisitive insects. The glowing comes from a specialized organ in their body and when disturbed they will crawl into a crevice making it appear that the light has gone out. The damp and dark ceilings of caves provide the ideal conditions for attracting and catching any small flying insects.
Upon entering the cave we walked for a bit before reaching a platform where we then boarded an inflatable boat. The boat is then guided down a stretch of the cave in order to get away from any light emanating from the entrance. As our eyes adjusted and we traveled deeper into the cave, the cave ceiling slowly began to light up and eventually resembled a starlit night sky. The glowworms were everywhere.
Not sure if it was the darkness, the boat ride or the glowworms, but the two little ones were mesmerized and didn't say much more than ooh and aah! Good on you Mere and Will!
In order to allow everyone's eyes to stay adjusted and as to not disturb the larvae of the fungal gnats, photo opportunities were pretty limited. However, upon the conclusion of the tour, they did email us a few photos you see here that show the glowworms in their full glory.
Here's a video that shows what it would have looked like if we had paid extra for the LSD and bells and strings choir tour.
The kids were all in agreement that the glowworms lived up to the hype. And Jack and Lilly were now onboard for taking the 2- hour wetsuit and tubing glowworm trip next time around.
After a 'tea' (snack) break, we took a second hike to another cave that highlighted the numerous entry points to the cave system with some skylights (what you call a sinkhole once you fall through it). There was also the fossilized remains of a moa, a now extinct flightless bird that stood taller than the ostrich
Our on-going quest to see a kiwi took a fortunate turn when our visit to Waitomo placed us a short drive from the Otorohanga Kiwi House. Across New Zealand, there are several places to view kiwi in captivity. These sanctuaries, Kiwi Houses, and Zoos are involved in the nationwide effort to support breeding and ensuring the kiwi's survival.
The Otorohanga Kiwi house has a nighttime setting room where the photoperiod has been shifted so the nocturnal kiwis are tricked into thinking the day is nighttime. They offer several feeding times during the day to increase your odds of catching a glimpse of them
At the scheduled feeding time we dutifully entered the dimly lit room around their enclosure and listened to the keepers give a talk about Kiwi conservation in hushed voices. As our eyes adjusted to the near darkness, we could barely start to make out the movements of a kiwi in the back of the enclosure. It came into better view when it slowly ambled towards the front for all to see when suddenly a young child wearing rainbow striped pants smacked both hands on the enclosure glass and yelled "Kiwi!" sending it scurrying back towards its burrow. Oh, .......the joys of parenthood. Luckily, the darkened room provided excellent cover for the delinquent parents to make a getaway and find some less easily intimated native birds for us to view outside where we belonged.
During the downtime on our trip, Jack and Lilly were happy to give Meredith and Will lessons on the game of Life. Although Jack and Will were making it rain early, the smart money is on the slow and steady kiwi.
