Adventure #2: caving 90m underground

View from the van on the way back into town from the caving trip
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Waitomo is a little town (and when I say little, I mean a year-round population of 50!!) which thrives off of the tourism of its underground limestone caves. We went with one group called Waitomo Adventures, and did a tour called Haggas Honking Holes, (named after the lady who owns the cave, Mrs. Haggas--nothing to do with the UK delicacy, thank god) and went rockclimbing, waterfall abseilling (ie rappelling) and general wading through cold underwater rivers with wetsuits on...all down to 90meters underground!! We also got to see these little things called glow worms, which are not really worms at all but fly larvae, (scientific name, arachnocampa luminosa) that give off bioluminescence. It makes it look like the cave ceiling has glowing stars on it. Really incredible to see.  Our guides were Chris and Onj, and I swear, they've got the best jobs in New Zealand.  They get to do this every day!  What could be better??

rockclimbing, waterfall abseilling (ie rappelling) and general wading through cold underwater rivers with wetsuits on...all down to 90meters underground!!