How many of you are Avatar fans? The only way I can begin to describe my experience in the Waitomo Caves, is by comparing it to the magical world of Pandora. These little, blue-glowing creatures instantly reminded me of the fluorescent nature from that fictional world. When you are inside the cave everything goes dark, and you can’t even see the nose on your face, until your eyes adjust and you look up. The thousands of worms start to glow, and they look like specs of stardust caught in a web in the night sky.
Two men, the Maori Chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace, first discovered the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in 1887. The first thing they witnessed after investigating the caves was the Glowworm Grotto, the same place I visited during my trip. The Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand, had already known about the caves but had never explored them. Chief Tane and Fred Mace were the first to take the underground stream and float on a raft through the caves. They were both ecstatic with their discovery of the worms and returned a multitude of times to continue their search and found many other beautiful and intricate caves.
In 1889 the Maori chief opened the caves to tourists. The caves became famous and people flooded in to take a tour. Unfortunately the caves were taken by the government in 1906, and it was not until 1989 that the caves were returned to the Maori people.
When I visited, I was lucky enough to have a tour guide who was a late descendent of Chief Tane and his wife Huti. In fact, many of the employees and staff at the cave are from the Chief Tane bloodline. The Maori are extremely proud of their caves, and rightfully so. These caves have become internationally well-known due to their breathtaking sights.
The way the worms shine, is a type of radiance you only see after going down the rabbit hole and finding wonderland. I remember the silence that fell upon our group once the thousands of worms started to illuminate and sparkle. They looked like glitter that had been scattered about the universe. You couldn’t tell how far or close the cave wall was, all you could see was the little lights twinkling in suspension. Once the cave ended and our raft found daylight again, it felt as if it was a surreal dream that we had awoken from. I wish I could have taken pictures so I could show you the intricate beauty of the caves, but photography was not allowed. I advise you to instantly get online and Google Waitomo Glowworm Caves and start planning your trip to this magical place!
