On our last full day in New Zealand we had one big activity planned: The Black Abyss adventure in the Waitamo glow worm caves. There are a number of different caving experiences in the area, and figuring that we would not have a chance to go back we opted for the extreme 5-hour tour.
Before we arrived, though, we had a 2 hour drive from Turangi to the Waitamo region. We picked up some snacks at a grocery store and stopped for a picnic lunch under the huge statue in Te Kuiti, apparently the shearing capitol of the world. This town is in the heart of New Zealand’s wool industry and hosts the national Shearing and Wool handling championships each year.
After our leisurely lunch and drive we arrived in Waitamo ready for our adventure. We got our wetsuits and boots, and a short bus ride and intro later we were preparing to abseil (rappel) 30 meters down into the cave system.
Once down in the caves we were greeted with the stunning sight of the glow worms. Not actually worms, the larvae of these fungus gnats spin a nest of silk on the cave ceiling and lure prey into their webs using their bioluminescence. We had fun picking out constellations among the glowing lights.
After the group rappelled in (8 of us, plus 2 guides) we ventured a short distance into the cave before hooking up to a zipline and gliding another 30 meters in the darkness under the light of the worms. This was insanely cool! Quite a different experience from our ziplining in the redwoods a few days earlier.
We had a quick snack and then grabbed our tubes for the next portion of the adventure: swimming up and then floating down the cavern stream. This started with a 15 foot jump into the underground river.
We walked/swam upstream before hooking all of our tubes together to gently float in the darkness back down to where we started. Along the way we paused for a cool group photo - our guides knew how to use long exposure and flashlights to make some cool effects.
We then ditched the tubes and ventured downstream. This involved a combination of walking, swimming, sliding, and squeezing through some tight cracks.
Along the way we encountered the other form of life that makes its home in these caves: eels! These little guys prey on whatever gets washed in.
At the end of the adventure we had a choice for our exit: walk up the tunnel or climb two waterfalls. Naturally we all chose the exciting option, climbing two 10 foot underground waterfalls before finally emerging back into the light.
The abyss tour exceeded expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adventurous look into this beatiful environment.