As I have a few hours to kill before my bus arrives I decide to check out the Glowworm Cave. Glow worms are big in Waitomo and there are several companies promoting tours to see them.
I walk to the 'Waitomo Cave' also known as the 'Glowworm Cave'. On the way my bag splits open and sprinkles my photo memory cards all over the road (although I don't realise this until I arrive at the cave). I spend the next hour running down the road searching hedges and looking frantic until I think I recover them all.
Breathless but almost recovered from the shock I return to the Glowworm Cave, which I know will be a touristy affair. The cave, which feels like a museum, is well lit with wide walkways and stairwells. The acoustics are so good they've held musical performances here.
The highlight of the cave is the boat trip. As there are only three of us on the tour, we're able to lie down on the seats and gaze up at the ceiling on the cave. As we get deeper, the familiar waves of blue-green lights appear as the concentration of glowworms intensifies. At last count (how do they do this?) there were over 10,000 of them.
Glow worms are not worms but mosquito-like larvae which produce a bio-luminescent chemical to attract food. Insects are drawn to the light but become trapped in the sticky threads they suspend. The lights are magical. Photos are not allowed but it's so dark it would be difficult to capture them without a long exposure.
(Photo - Waitomo Walkway)
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