It was a 2 hour drive from the Auckland airport to Waitomo. Waitomo is best known for its many caves and the glowworms that live inside. In some of the caves you can even tube or raft in the dark.
We had decided on a private tour with Paul of Green Glow EcoAdventures. Besides being private, Paul allowed and encouraged photography in the caves (most tours did not). He even provided tripods and flash guns for long exposures which would allow for photographing of the glowworms.
The address for his company actually took us to his house in a rural area past the main Waitomo Caves area. The caves he would take us to were actually on private land and only he had an agreement to take visitors there. These caves were also twice as long as the main Waitomo Caves, where up to 2000 tourists visit in a day. Needless to say, we'd be with Paul alone in the caves and able to move at our own pace.
Paul met us outside and was extremely friendly from the get-go. He fitted us for thermals, shorts, fleeces, gum boots, helmets with lights, and harness. The outfits were very stylish and Nate looked similar to a Smurf after he had changed. Paul then talked with Nate about photography, gear, settings for in the cave, and which lens to use. He was extremely excited when Nate showed him his wide angle lens. Paul had just ordered one and would not receive it for several more weeks, and he was eager to use Nate's for some shots he had thought up. While packing the gear, Paul had his two young kids hunt for snails in the garden.
We drove to a nearby farm and stopped near a slight downward slope with ropes. This was Paul's training area, and he casually walked us through how to abseil. Through friction, our harness and control of the rope would allow for a controlled descent down nearly 100 feet. After two practice rounds on a the hill, we both felt comfortable and agreed to begin the caves.
A ten minute hike took us to the beginning of rope attached to a rock face. We used two small ropes with carabiners to navigate safely along the rockface until we were staring down 27 m (~ 90 ft) into a small, lush canyon where the cave started. Paul walked us through the techniques one more time and attached a safety rope to Nate's harness.
It was intimidating staring down over the ledge the first time. Nate slowly bent his knees until all his weight was on the harness. Turning slightly, he put his feet on the wall below the ledge and began his descent. The first 15 seconds seemed to take forever as your brain processes floating nearly 100 feet up. But once you feel in control you have the opportunity to look around and enjoy the surroundings. It was over in two to three minutes, and Nate unstrapped from below for Ashley's turn.
With everyone below, Paul took us for a short hike down the stream that exited the caves we would soon be entering. He had worked as a geologist earlier in his career and was happy to point out and explain rocks and fossils along the way.
To enter the first cave, we had to get low and nearly crawl for the first 10 yards. Ashley was not a fan of this part and Paul teased her that it was only going to get worse. The cave soon opened up into a large cavern, making Ashley much happier. Paul led us deeper into the cave with our helmets as the only light. We were sure to follow closely as he maneuvered over and around boulders and rocks in the cave.
He stopped on a large boulder and invited us to sit down with him and turn off our lights. It instantly became dark, with a very faint light bouncing in from the entrance. The only other lights visible were small, green "stars" on the ceiling. These were the glowworms, to which we were oblivious just moments before when our helmet lights were on. As our eyes adjusted to the dark, more became visible along the roof of the cave. This was to be our lunch picnic spot surrounded by glowworms in the dark.
Paul explained to us that glowworms are actually fly larvae. The adult females lay eggs in damp, dark locations (not always caves) where they hatch and move to a desirable location nearby. They create a sticky silk strand that dangles a few inches from the ceiling. Their glow is a trap that attracts other small, flying insects who mistake them for stars. We would later get a chance to see them up close with our helmet lights on, and they looked like a tiny earthworm with silk drooping down around them. It was pretty easy to see why they got their name. Nate also brushed a silk strand with his finger and it stuck much like a spider's web until he pulled away with too much force.
This area was also one of Paul's favorite for photography. Each cave shot takes some time for set up, but Paul has been guiding and exploring these caves for more than 6 years. A tripod for the camera is set up first. Then you need light to be shined onto an object or person to set focus. Then, any off-camera flash need to be configured and placed to appropriately light part of the cave or person. Lastly, several test shots are taken to make sure the frame, focus, and lighting are right. Most cave shots we took ranged from 30 to 90 seconds, with just a quick burst of light on the target area. Some of the tighter spaces could be faster with flash.
After a few good shots we packed up and continued deeper into the cave. The next stop was an area where stalactites and stalagmites were within hand's reach. Paul's paths throughout the caves were meant to avoid contact with cave structures where possible in order to preserve the natural growth and look. In a small "clearing" we set up photography gear for some photos encircled by stalactites and stalagmites.
As we were packing up the gear Ashley noticed ropes and hooks leading down a black crevasse further into the cave. Our second abseil would be in the dark. Nate went first, a common theme for the day. With just his helmet for light, he descended down the rope until feeling a small ledge. This section's ceiling was much lower, with glowworms within arm's reach. Once everyone was down, Paul showed us what they looked like and how they fed.
We were soon outside one of the cave entrances following a few minutes of scrambling over rocks. Paul led us upstream to an area where the water was calmer under a small rock ledge. Paul brought out a plastic bag which contained the snails found earlier in the morning. He held the snail upstream in flowing water, and after 30 seconds a two foot long eel swam out from under the ledge towards Paul. Apparently they had a great sense of smell and a fondness for snails. We both got to feed the eel, but only Nate was willing to touch it.
The next section was to be the largest of the glowworm caves we would visit. Paul led us in, and 10 minutes later our lights were off and our eyes focused up. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of green dots lined the top of the cave. We sat in silence for several minutes before setting up for some photos in this area. Having a wide angle lens with us, Paul had several new ideas for shots that he had always wanted to try. We ended up with a unique photo with Nate silhouetted in the cave, Ashley lit up in focus, and glowworms above.
Exiting this cave, we had one more abseil to our last entrance of the day. Feeling more comfortable, we both took our time and enjoyed looking around during the descent.
Paul had one more spot to show us, one that was best in the afternoon. We entered the last cave and turned around to see the trees and plants with just the right amount of light. It was a wonderful contrast against the dark walls of the cave.
The day had flown by - we had been in the caves for six hours. Already over time, Paul led us on the hike out of the gulch and back to his truck. A short drive took us back to Paul's house, where he happily showed us the pictures of the day on his computer (he even emailed a few for us to post). It had been great day, one of the best of our trip.
Tired, but only somewhat dirty, we checked in at Waitomo Caves Guest Lodge in town. A nice dinner at Huhu cafe across the street capped our day as we watched the sunset over the hills.
Tomorrow would take us into the Shire and then to Rotorua. It will be fun to see who would be the bigger nerd in Hobbiton.
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