Caving and glow worms in Waitomo

You may have read my previous post that talked about glow worms and their glowing poop (otherwise known as extraction).  Well, we went to Waitomo Caves, famous for these incredible glow worms.  We did three incredible tours, two of which we got to see the glow worms in the dark, and even though they are actually gross little worms that are catching other bugs to eat, and simply using the glow to attract them, they do look quite spectacular.

The worms are glowing!

We took a short rafting tour through a cave with glow worms, and it looked like the stars.

We then went on to Ruakari Cave, which has only been open for about 5 years, as they spent several years and millions of dollars building a suspended bridge (so as to not disrupt the stalgmites) and a very awesome light show.  We had to walk down a long, windy, walkway that reminded us of the circular walkways in the Guggenheim in NY (except with spectacular glowing lights).

Our walkway down, down, down into the cave

Cave bacon

Hanging out with stalagmites and stalagtites

The caves were a bit chilly!  We saw lots of crystalized stalagmites and stalagtites, and we learned that when they join together they become stalagMATES! (They actually really become columns, but Seth and I both enjoyed this cute joke from our tour guide.)

On its way to becoming a stalagMATE

Beautiful stalagtites

The second cave we went to, Aranui Cave, was also really beautiful.  There were no glow worms in this cave, because there was no river running through it.  We learned how the cave was discovered.  Apparently in the early 1900s, a tourist from England was chasing his dog that was chasing a pig?!  And the dog ran into a cave after it and fell a long ways down!  The tourist was so excited about this cave he found, that he ran back to his hotel, told them, and they gave him something like 40 pounds, and they made it into a tourist attraction.  The part that concerns me is no one ever said what happened to the dog?

But here’s what we saw…

A weta in the cave

Seth stole a piece of the stalagtite! Oh you guys, of course I’m kidding.

They are never ending

Walking through the cave…

In the first cave that starts with an R

We also managed to fit in a few hikes, of course.  We hiked to a beautiful waterfall, a natural bridge, and into another cave.

The water falling amongst mossy rocks

Seth viewing the falls

Entering the cave

Jessica explores a cave!

Walking down into the cave

Seth posing in front of the natural bridge

Swing bridge!

Loving life

Water running through a natural bridge

Peeking through a tiny tunnel

Later, we hung out with some farm animals: a pig that just had piglets, Billy the goat, and a deer!  We fed the deer apples out of our hands, but couldn’t get any pictures because the greedy little guy gobbled it down in .2 seconds.

Jessica hanging out

Seth taking the obligatory feet photo

Billy the goat and the hungry deer

Mama pig

Mama pig and her piglets