Abseil, Cave and Glow Worms in Waitomo | New Zealand

I have hiked in the mountains, dived in the sea, flown in the skies, cruised the sounds and walked on the glaciers of New Zealand. One year and three months in, we added a new activity: Abseiling into the Waitomo Caves.

We were nearing the end of our month-long trip around the North Island, which started right after a dreadful work exchange in Auckland. The terrible end turned out to be a blessing as Auckland went into lockdown the day after we left the state!

We travelled around the Northland on a campervan, and then made our way around the centre of North Island, covering two great walks – Tongariro Northern Circuit and the Whanganui River Trail – along the way before looping back north for the Waitomo Caves.

I abseiled the Waitomo Caves in 2021. This post may be updated periodically.

The Waitomo Caves

The Waitomo Caves seemed famous for their wonder of nature – an abundance of glow worms. Take a look at the images that pop up when you google the caves. People would assume that is the only place you should go to see the glow worms. I was one of them a year ago.

But having lived in the country and interacted with the people here for so long, I learnt that glow worms are not that special. You could find them in the dark, damp corners of the forest and caves for free.

The caves’ name comes from the Maori words ‘Wai’, which means water, and ‘Tomo’, which means hole.

What truly made the Waitomo Caves and its region special is its geology. The area was once beneath the sea, formed from bones and shells of fossils millions of years ago. As the earth moved, the land was lifted out of the sea. Years of elemental deterioration and deposits carved out the caves into what we see today.

Similar to what I had experienced in Ngarua Caves of Takaka, the farmlands we crossed were over an elaborate limestone cave system. Farm animals used to fall through the holes in the past. Today, most of the holes are restricted from public access or have barricades around them.

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Reservation

We booked our trip three weeks in advance from the kitchen of our friend’s house when we were in Te Puke. The usual price as of Apr 2022 is NZD 595, but we booked through Bookme dot com for NZD 416.

There are several adventurous activities to do in the caves. If you hate getting wet or feel claustrophobic in caves or darkness, go with the boring boat tour. Ranking the activities based on their difficulty level, you have the blackwater rafting, the half-day caving exploration, and the full-day exploration, which was what we paid for.

Four hundred dollars for a full-day tour sounds like a lot. But friends who have gone for the more affordable half-day tour encouraged us to invest a bit more for the full experience. 

They were right.

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Seven Hours of Activities

(1) Briefing

Our guides conducted a short briefing in the tour agency’s main office in Waitomo before the seven of us were led to a bus. We signed an indemnity form and brought along our bags containing a change of clothes and toiletries.

The bus crossed over numerous private farmlands before we finally reached a cottage.

Two guides fit us up into wetsuits, gumboots, harnesses and helmets with headlights.

(2) Training

Once they were satisfied with their work, they brought us into a nearby forest and taught us to use the safety clips tied around our harnesses. We clipped, unclipped, and clipped around a small loop among the trees. It was awkward walking around in wet suits and gumboots on a summer day, but the mock activity was important for our safety.

We successfully graduated from the clipping-unclipping course and were ready for the big abseil.

(3) Abseiling

What awaited us was a platform over the gaping hole of the mossy green cave. The guides clipped and tied us up with three or four people per guide and taught us the technique to sink fast or sink comfortably.

Descending the world’s highest commercial abseil was exhausting. The harness dug into my thighs, and having the rope and lock directly in front of my face meant it was impossible to sit straight. I could feel the tension in my lower back.

We landed on flat grounds and ate our lunch. Sandwiches, blueberry muffins and tea.

(4) Exploring

Post-lunch, we spotted baby eels floating out on one of the streams from the caves.

We were in the lowest part of the caves and had to climb over boulders and ladders and march against the flow.

The first part of the expedition required a lot of agility. The clipping and unclipping exercise came in handy.

We squeezed through tight holes, gingerly threaded over steep rock surfaces, and dunked ourselves into cave waters.

I saw giant blind spiders that eat glow worms, hairy-sighted brown spiders as big as my palm, and insect larvae.

We climbed a ladder over three floors, and walked on a narrow path by the edge of a sheer drop, clipping and unclipping along the way.

Our guide made us half-swim-half-walked in neck-high waters in darkness. Without sight, other senses were awakened.

We felt the cold waters, the cool air, and the raw edges of the cave walls as we navigate forward. We heard the trickling sounds of water dripping from the walls, and smelt the scent of dampness. The air tasted slightly sweet.

Towards the end of the exploration, we lay side-by-side on a boulder and marvelled at the glow worms above, shining like stars from the milky way underneath a dark sky.

And then we were out of the caves. 

(5) Returning

We plodded over the mossy rocks and slippery vegetation and trekked for almost half an hour across the unsheltered farmland before we were in the cottage for a refreshing hot shower and delicious BBQ dinner (featuring steak, sausages and salad).

Five hours of caving underground were equivalent to 30 minutes of trekking aboveground.

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It was money and time well spent that day. We enjoyed every part of the journey – the uniqueness of the environment, the professionalism and humour of the guides, and the camaraderie with other participants.

Notes

• Wear swimwear underneath the wet suits. Comfort!
• Bring thick wool socks. Prevent blisters.
• Leave your camera behind. Not allowed. Images here were complimentary from the guides.
• Braid or securely tie up long hair. Stop hair from getting caught between the locks while abseiling. It will hurt.