Today I travelled down to the Waitomo Caves for an exciting adventure that I've been looking forward to since I began booking my trip. There are numerous glow worm cave adventure packages for this area ranging in terms of length and difficulty. I selected a 5 hour tour that promised to do it all.
I travelled with two other couples, both of whom were on long travelling adventures. One couple from France, was in their fifth month of a year tour of the world and the other couple were actually from the states and were on a three month expedition of Asia, Australia, and surronding islands. This would be probably the tenth time someone asked why I wasn't stopping in Figi on my way home. If school meetings only started a few days later!
For the trip, we were suited up in wet suits and boots and headed to the caves. Because we would be abseiling and rock climbing, we had a quick training before we entered the cave. The beginning was scary as we abseiled 27 meters (about 100 feet) into the caves. We walked through the water upstream to a few different areas where the glow worms lived. (These caves are famous for the thousands of glow worms that live in the rock). With our headlamps off we could see hundreds of the worms- it looked like a beautiful starry night.
Next, we tubed down the cave and saw some fascinating rock formations and more glow worms. We climbed through very narrow rocks (one of the few times being tall does not work to your advantage) and hiked around the caves. The entire cave we were in is about five miles long, but tours only travel through a small part of it because the caving can become very narrow and dangerous.
It was a little chilly during our expedition but it was interesting to learn that the caves are nearly the same temperature regardless of the season or temperature outside. While it wasn't freezing, we were able to see our breath which we learned was due to the 100% humidity in the caves.
After about two and a half hours of exploring we were headed out by rock climbing back to the top. I was the first to attempt this and have to admit that it was pretty tough! By the end, we were exhausted. I bought a cd of all the photos from the trip and am excited to share those when I return.
I headed over about two hours to the east to Rotorua which is a popular tourist destination in the North Island. It is known for the thermal spas, lush gardens, and adventure activities. The city sits on a volcanic rift so there are plenty of all natural pools and spas to relax in.
Rotorua is also known for its emphasis on the Maori culture ( the indigenous people of New Zealand). Around 35% of the population is Maori which makes it the greatest concentrated area of Maori in the country.
Tonight I became a little concerned as I walked around looking for dinner because the streets seemed desolate. Luckily I turned a corner to find a fabulous farmers market/festival complete with food, wine, music and souvenirs. I had an amazing lamb pita pocket and a delcious caramel choclate pie that was easily 1500 calories. Tomorrow I need to go for a long hike!
I have found myself using DC as my location in the states ( figure it's more well known) and am happy to report that many people reply back with, "oh near the Baltimore Ravens- superbowl champs!" I love it! People here love the idea American football but currently the Super 15 upcoming rugby final is all the rave. The radio is literally counting down the minutes until the game on Saturday night. This is the same team (Waikato Chiefs) that I saw play last Saturday. Unfortunately, I'll be too far away to attend this week, but I'll definitely be watching- hopefully with some rowdy fans!
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