The Magic of the Waitomo Caves
The Magic of the Waitomo Caves
In a small village located just a few hours from Auckland, New Zealand lies a cave system that serves as a major tourist attraction in New Zealand. Waitomo is a 300 resident village which plays host to over half a million tourists each year, many of which come to explore the caves of Waitomo and in particular, to witness one of the major attractions, the Waitomo Glowworm.
On a typical cave exploration anywhere else in the world, the only light to be seen usually comes from manmade floodlights or flashlights carried by the explorer. Without these sources of light, the explorer is left to experience true pitch-black conditions with the exception of the occasional and imagined flash of light. An exception to this rule can be found in the Waitomo Caves where an interesting biological phenomenon creates bits of light amidst the cave’s pitch-black surroundings. Tourists from around New Zealand and the world come to play witness to this biological anomaly.
The Waitomo Glowworm, the known cause of this phenomenon, is actually the larvae of a fungus gnat which can only be found in New Zealand. Typically emanating from the ceiling of the cave, observers can witness what appears to be hundreds or thousands of glowing ‘lights’ against the
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backdrop of a pitch black cave. The experience of witnessing the Waitomo Glowworm has been compared by many to sitting on a dark hillside under the well lit, star-studded sky on a summer night. Playing witness to such a rare natural occurrence is nothing short of extraordinary.
Fortunately, playing witness to the Waitomo Glowworm doesn’t require a great deal of adventurism or athleticism. This part of the Waitomo Cave tour good for all types of visitors. For the adventure-junkies, the areas around the Waitomo Glowworm caves also have much more to offer. Advanced cave tours lead the adventurous travelers deep into the cave system through tight crawl spaces and repelling into seemingly endless underground pits. To those who have experienced the depths of this cave system, the journey has been a memorable one.
The Magic of the Waitomo Caves / Author: Enid Glasgow