Waitomo (And The Amazing Caves)

Black Water Rafting In The Waitomo Caves

I was back in Auckland and back at work - but actually, it wasn't for very long. I only spent a week back in the big city. Graham - my boss from GNS had planned for me to go down to Wellington to work in a lab preparing samples for a couple of weeks. I had always wanted to go back to Wellington after only spending a few days in the countries capital. I always remember having fond memories of Windy Welly and now I'd get the chance to see it again. On top of that I would be doing some volcanology work that was completely new to me and he was paying for my flight there and back.....so to say the least - I was happy about the whole situation.

A week of work in Auckland flew by. I actually stayed at Harriet, Rob and Kate's house that week - they kindly let me lay my head on the couch to save me from going back in a hostel - and I was grateful for that.

When Harriet and I were in Taupo we discussed doing some trips away at the weekend. There are so many amazing places around the North Island, many of them not too far from Auckland itself and although I am now working - I still feel I need to see more of this stunning country - I mean thats pretty much the reason I wanted to travel the world. We hoped Rob and Kate would join us and I think they will on future adventures but they decided to sit this one out. My flight to Wellington was booked for the following Tuesday so the weekend was free. We picked up a map - pointed to a place on it - and off we went.

Rob has a car and he kindly insured myself and Harriet on it so we could drive. The place we chose was Waitomo - it's a good three and a half hour drive, south of Auckland on the Western side of the North Island. Waitomo is a region of New Zealand covered by fields and farmland - similar to many other places around NZ, but amongst the beautiful scenery Waitomo is famous for having some spectacular caves.

The waitomo Caves are huge, there's a fair few of them too and each one is slightly different. Just one of the reasons that these caves bring so many tourists in is because they are filled with Glow-worms. Within the pitch black caves, these small creatures excrete a blue'ish glow-in-the-dark faeces that literally lights your way. It's pretty amazing to see.

Actually we didn't just go in the caves for a look. This is New Zealand, the country which puts extreme into everything. The caves was no exception. We were on the Black Labryinth adventure. They gear you up in wetsuits and then you start off by going to a nearby river. You grab an inflatable tube (inside of a tyre type thing), just like back in Vang Vieng (Laos) and you practise jumping backwards off a ledge into the river - aiming to land in your tube. We then headed off to the cave.

The caves are water filled. At some parts your crawling under rock ledges, through narrow openings and along darkened tunnels. The water level varies, from up to your ankles - to up to your kneck.... thats where the tube comes in. You have a torch on your hard-hat but it's best to let the Glow-worms guide your path. The instructors had us leaping off of waterfalls that have formed within the caves or linking all our tubes together to create one big chain of floating bodies. The 'Black Water Rafting' as it's known - was a lot of fun and the caves were just incredible. This is why you travel around the planet - not to jump of of waterfalls within caves, or to see Glow-worms....it's to see it all - to experience things you probably never could or would back at home. It's why I'm here.

The weekend was great fun. As always when myself and Harriet get together - strange and chaotic things generally happen, and I'm sure that these things definately wouldn't of occurred if we were doing them with other people....I'm sure it's some sort of curse. So naturally, along our trip: we killed a bird. It flew at the windscreen and bounced over the top of the car......we like to think it's still OK; we saved a hedgehog. At first we naturally almost ran it over but then realising just swerved out the way, got out and carefully put it on the side of the road. I hope I didn't put it back on the wrong side or he'd have to start his crossing all over again - woops; and we also got pulled over by the Police. Yes, Harriet was doing more than the allowed speed and a Police car swooped up behind us flashing it's lights. Aparently the Police are hot on catching speeders and if caught always give out a fine - so we are told. Somehow we got away with it though - just a telling off from the male Police Officer. This was totally unheard of. All I'm saying is, if that was me driving - a fine would certainly have been issued - I'm sure she gave him a cheeky smile to escape the punishement!!!

Apart from all that - the whole trip was a great success and it will definately be followed up by a another, to some new destination with I'm sure all the craziness that this trip produced. But that adventure would have to wait for now. A few days after Waitomo, I caught my flight - and in one hour - I was back in Windy Welly!!!..........