Type “Waitomo” into any search engine, and the first hits will probably involve caves, glowworms, or both. And righteously so, because walking into a cave that is completely illuminated by thousands and thousands of small blue lights is a magical experience. And Waitomo is one of the few places where you can experience exactly that. This specific and famous type of glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) is native to New Zealand only, with the highest densities found in the caves in Waitomo. The dark, damp caves create the perfect conditions for their prey, and therefore the perfect conditions for the glowworms themselves.
Glowworm caves around Waitomo
The caves in Waitomo are the most famous and possibly the best place to find glowworms in New Zealand. But did you know you don’t have to visit the caves to see them? The creatures are actually abundant in the region. Depending on your adventure-tolerance, and budget, check out which of the options below speaks to you the most.
A peaceful wonderland
If you came to Waitomo to marvel at glowworms in a tranquil manner, there are several options available to you. The most well-known (but not necessarily the best, just hold on!) one is aptly named Waitomo Glowworm Caves. It includes a walk and boatride underneath those magical creatures, and it is relatively accessible with proper walkways and handrails. Nevertheless, you cannot take photos on this tour, and besides it’s owned by Tourism Holdings Limited, a large company. The company operates in Ruakuri cave (wheelchair friendly, allows photography in selected areas) and Aranui cave (no glowworms, but a colony of cave Weta lives there) too.
Now, as mentioned before, I personally think the better alternative is the magical Spellbound Glowworm Cave. This is a family-owned business operating on their farm. And if supporting local businesses is not enough, the Mangawhitikau cave on their property is also said to hold the highest density of glowworms in the country! The visit includes a boatride underneath these magical lights. During the tour you cannot only take your own photos, but they will even take a photo of you with the glowworms. This will be sent to you at no extra charge, along with professional photos of the caves. If you decided to go for the slightly longer tour, you get to walk through a second cave. This Spirit cave contains the remains of the tallest known birds that ever roamed this earth: the Moa!
Adventure awaits
If you desire a more adrenaline-packed glowworm experience, Waitomo has that too offer too. Although Queenstown is widely regarded as New-Zealand’s adventure captial, there is no other place in the world where you can do blackwater rafting under a magic ceiling of glowworms. The area holds adventures for different levels of adventure-desire. The milder ones will get you in a wetsuit to go tubing through streams in the cave, while the full-on adventures include abseiling and climbing through waterfalls.
Just like for the peaceful tours, there are several companies operating in the area offering the adventure tours too. The same commerical Tourism Holdings Limited owns the famous Blackwater Rafting Co. They seem to offer the cheapest experience, especially when booking through getyourguide with the Black Labyrinth the milder adventure, and the Black Abyss as the full-on adventure, including abseils. Group sizes are up to twelve people, and you need to pay to get your photos sent to you.
Locally owned alternatives
If you have a little bit more to spend and want to support a locally owned business, again I think these are the better alternatives. These include the most adventurous tours too! Waitomo adventures is the better known one, offering Haggas Honking Holes as the starter-pack, yet including abseils. If you are dying for more, you can upgrade to the Lost World half-day tour, or the most adventurous Lost World full-day option. The full-day includes a 100 m abseil, making this the most high-adrenaline black-water rafting option in the area, and quite possibly the world.
If you prefer smaller groups and a more exclusive experience on a local, carbon-positive farm: the Waitomo Experience is for you. It includes wetsuits, rock jumps, and swim-throughs, but no abseils. The maximum group size is just six people and you get to soak in a hot-tub after your experience! Both of these companies won’t allow you to take your phone or camera, but they will take pictures during the tour that are shared at no extra charge!
Glowworms for free?
If you’re looking for a glowworm experience while travelling on a budget, I have some good news. You don’t need to pay for a cave tour in order to see glowworms. The Waitomo region has plenty of places where these insects hang out on rocks and in the bush. The density might be slightly lower than in the caves, but you will get a magical experience for free. Not being on a tour has some advantages too, if you’re lucky, you have the glowworms all too yourself! That could be a blessing or a curse, because glowworms need a dark environment to work their magic. In the perpetual darkness of caves you can see them all day around, but in the wild you are going to need to wait for the night to settle in. Walking around by yourself in the dark can feel a bit eery, so make sure to come prepared: bring a torch, and maybe a friend, in order to defy the darkness together.
Mangapohue natural bridge
This is easily my favourite spot to see glowworms by myself. The massive rock arch is located about 350 metres from the car park, and is an impressive sight by daylight. The way in is an easy boardwalk following a river, with limestone rock formations rising high on either side of you. When you get here in the dark, you don’t have to walk far to see glowworms starting to fill the rocks next to you. The further in you walk, the more of these little lights seem to be covering every inside beside you. It’s like a walking along a starry night (rather than underneath it), because these stars are sideways!
When you reach the natural bridge, make sure to look up to see glowworms high up on the arch too. Honestly this spot was almost as good as the caves. Walking around by yourself makes it feel like an actual wonderland. This site is located half an hour driving from Waitomo, and can therefore feel quite remote. Even though you don’t have to walk far into the bush, it still feels like you’re alone in the dark, in the middle of nowhere. So make sure to bring some courage, and don’t freak out when you see some yellow eyes glowing in the dark. Yes, you are being watched, but it’s probably just a common brushtail possum.
Ruakuri Bush Walk
A lot closer to town you can find the Ruakuri Bush Walk: a 1.5 km loop through a stunning and diverse landscape featuring rivers, waterfalls, small caves and many other rock formations. Needless to say, I would recommend this walk during the day, as well as during the night. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do the full 1.5 km in the dark just to find glowworms. When entering the trail there is a big rock formation on your lefthand side. Once you walked about a hundred to two hundred metres in, turn off your light and let the magic enchant you.
The amount of glowworms on this trail is a bit less compared to the Mangapohue natural bridge. However, because it’s only a six-minute drive (or a 1.5 hour walk on the Waitomor Walkway) out of Waitomo, it’s less of a commitment to go. Besides you are likely to encounter a few other people on the trail. That means you may need to share the glowworms with them, but it is by no means crowded. Moreover, the presence of other people might make you feel a bit more comfortable being out in the dark.
Glowworms outside of Waitomo
If Waitomo is not on your itinerary, don’t be alarmed. Waitomo may be famous for its glowworms, but it is by no means the only area in New Zealand where you can marvel at these bioluminescent wonders. The country has many more places, where you can see them either on a cave tour, or outside for free. You can visit the Waipu caves in Northland, kayak underneath glowworms in Rotorua, or the check them out for free at the glow worm dell just outside of Hokitika, and that’s far from all!
