The Glowing Underground World of the Mystical Waitomo Cave

If you ever visit New Zealand, this is a place you don’t want to miss. Put Waitomo cave on your agenda and stay in awe of the luminous glow worm walls. In case you were wondering, Arachnocampa luminosa is the name of this tiny cobalt blue dots, worms which are an endemic species to New Zealand and which you will not be able to find anywhere else in the world.

The cavern was first entered in 1887 by the local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau accompanied by the English cartographer FredMace. It took many repeated water visits to the cave to discover the land entrance used today by most of the people who come to see it.

The cave is on the Waitomo River and visitors usually approach it by boat rides. Some of the locals believe that the sapphire landscapes are spellbound. Those who are not afraid, explore the cave by abseiling, crawling, climbing and rafting. A real treat for adventurous cavemen!