Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
climbing, abseiling, photographic or glowworm spin on your day. It's based in Te Kuiti,
20 minutes from Waitomo.
CaveWorld
( 0800 228 338, 07-878 6577;
www.caveworld.co.nz
;
cnr Waitomo Caves Rd & Hotel Access Rd)
CaveWorld
runs the Tube It ($139, two hours) black-water rafting trip through glowworm-filled Te
Anaroa. Also available are a glowworm-illuminated night abseil down a 45m crevice
called the Glowworm Canyon ($199, two hours), or the Footwhistle Glowworm Cave
Tour ($55, one hour).
CAVING, ADVENTURE TOURS
Kiwi Cave Rafting
( 07-873 9149, 0800 228 372;
www.caveraft.com
;
95 Waitomo Caves Rd)
These small-group expeditions
(five hours, $225) start with abseil training, followed by a 27m descent into a natural
cave, and then a float along a subterranean river on an inner tube with plenty of glow-
worms. After some caving, a belayed rock climb up a 20m cliff brings you to the surface.
A three-hour dry tour ($125) without the inner-tube adventure is also available.
CAVING, ADVENTURE TOUR
Tramping
The Waitomo i-SITE has free pamphlets on walks in the area. The walk from
Aranui Cave
to
Ruakuri Cave
is an excellent short path. From the Waitomo Caves Visitor Centre, the 5km,
three-hour-return
Waitomo Walkway
takes off through farmland, following Waitomo Stream
to the
Ruakuri Scenic Reserve
, where a 30-minute return walk passes by a natural limestone
tunnel. There are glowworms here at night - drive to the car park and bring a torch to find
your way. Near Waitomo Adventures a steep 20-minute walk leads through bush then
along farmland to the abandoned
Opapake Pa
GOOGLE MAP
, where terraces and kumara
MAP
pits are visible.
Dundle Hill Walk
( 0800 924 866, 07-878 7788;
www.dundlehillwalk.com
;
adult/child $75/35)
The self-guided privately run
Dundle Hill Walk is a 27km, two-day/one-night loop walk through Waitomo's bush and
farmland, including overnight bunk-house accommodation high up in the bush.
TRAMPING
Sleeping
