En route from the Coromandel Peninsula back home to Wellington, we stopped over at Waitomo, which means water that flows through a hole in the ground, a key tourism spot on the North Island.
There is a wonderful expression here in New Zealand - "World Famous in New Zealand" - and as Craig says, he had not heard of either the Glowworm caves or the limestone wonders of Aranui Cave before researching the road trip.
Bus loads of tourists did suggest that Waitomo is indeed on the tourist circuit!So we booked both tours.
Last night the glowworms created a wonderful spectacle as we floated silently beneath their green glows, thousands of them, with their fine webs waving in the light breeze waiting to trap an insect carried in by the river.
This morning we returned to the area, all rather bleary eyed after a rough night in a motel that was noisy, trains passing the rooms, and joined the tour through Aranui Cave.
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| The largest stalactite, 400 000 years old! |
The collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, shawls and decorative formations were very beautiful.
Colours are leached into the formations and add another dimension, from ice white to a deep chocolate brown, however I love them with a clean, waxy, pearly white look.
We all felt that the cave was a magical, mystical place and we were refreshed and energised after the visit and ready for the journey back to Wellington.
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| Chocolate fountain? |
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