Waitomo Caves - North Island, New Zealand

Waitomo is 16 kilometres south of Otorohanga to the west of SH3 and has a David and Goliath reputation in being a small village with a world-renowned tourist attraction.

The Waitomo Caves have become a massive attraction due to their glow-worm caves and multiple caving adventures.

There are magnificent karst features that complement the beauty of the netherworld caves as the limestone is continuously dissolved by the interaction of rainwater and carbon dioxide causing more cave creation. This is an amazing never ending process. Waitomo means "water entering shaft" in Maori.

There are a variety of tours ranging from a sedate float through underground grottos with lighted glow-worms to adrenaline pumping wet suit clad caving adventure trips involving squeezing, wriggling and abseiling into the darkness.

Waitomo Caves Accommodation

Accommodation is limited in Waitomo. Backpackers are well catered for, however for other accommodation choices you are advised to book well in advance. The peak season is from November to January.

The eating options are pretty limited in Waitomo. Lunch is not a problem but dinner can be, especially in winter. Otorohanga is the best place to head to for a good meal. There is a visitor centre on the main road in the Museum of Caves building.

Waitomo Caves Activities

Waitomo is a hotbed of adventure and activity. There are guided tours of the Waitomo cave passages though it covers only a tiny fraction. The best independent exploration of the caves is at Piripiri caves to the west of the village.

You can get a good idea of the caving activities available by visiting the Museum of Caves in the heart of the village. The exhibits on the geology and history of the caves are enthralling. Kids love the interactive displays on glow-worm caves. You can book all types of caving activities at this museum.

The Waitomo glow-worm caves have 40 minute tours by the hour as visitors stream in and out of the grottos to view the amazing formation of stalagmites and stalactites and best of all the magnificent glow-worms lighting up the cave walls and roofs.

You can also go on the Aranui Cave and Ruakuri Cave tours, both offering geologically spectacular cave formations in stalagmites and stalactites along with glow-worms.

Waitomo's adrenaline pumping adventure caving trips are a big hit with adventure seekers. The fitness requirements vary according to the activity; it is up to you to decide on the trip that would suit you best.

Most times, the professional tour operators can match you to the activity appropriate to you. Most trips require you to don swimwear and wetsuit, cavers helmet with lamp, and rubber boots.

Blackwater rafting, also known as cave tubing, is an exciting adventure where you are wedged in the inner tube of a truck tyre and allowed to float through a pitch dark section of the cave.

Access to some of the caves is by abseiling down a long rope. Once underground, you will have to wriggle and squeeze your way through the mire of passages jumping into pools and clambering over rocks along the way.

A non subterranean attraction is Woodlyn Park which hosts an entertaining Kiwi culture show. It also has a specially designed watercourse, one of its kind in New Zealand, where you can pilot a single seater jetboat on your own reaching speeds of 50 kmph.

You can tour the rugged karst contryside of Waitomo on 4WD quad bikes. Horse riding is another popular activity. Scenic and cultural tours gives you an insight into traditional Maori culture with a visit to the marae, and up the west coast to the Mangapohue Natural Bridge and the Marokopa Falls.

There are interesting tramping tracks around Waitomo, the best ones being Waitomo Walkway and the Ruakuri Natural Tunnel track.

Waitomo Caves Transportation

Train access to Waitomo is provided from Otorohanga, a stop on the Auckland Wellington rail route. Buses also stop here and Waitomo Shuttle buses ferry passengers from here to Waitomo three or four times a day.

There is also a daily run to Waitomo on the Auckland Rotorua route. All buses stop at the Waitomo Vistor Centre. There is a post office. Most other major amenities are available at Otorohanga or Te Kuiti.

LooknbookNZ can organise your Waitomo accommodation and Waitomo activities bookings to let you and your family/friends have a grand adventure in the exciting netherworld of Waitomo caves.