Tourist information and destination rating
Category: Region, Local time: 10:29:54
The Waitomo Caves are a complex of underground karst caves in
New Zealand . They are situated in the center of the North Island, near the village of Waitomo Caves, about 45 kilometers from the city
Hamilton . The Waitomo Caves form an approximately 45 km long network of caves, connected by the Waitomo River. The first explored cave was the Glowworm Cave in 1887, which you can visit now. The next accessible cave, in the area of the Waitomo Caves is the Aranui Cave that got famous by its luminous larvae. There are approximately 2.5 km of tunnels with rich karst decoration, excellent lighting and nice paths opened to the public. Most caves of the Waitomo Caves, however, remain unexplored. Waitomo Caves is very popular among the lovers of extreme sports, such as Black Water Rafting. It is a sport where the participants wear neoprene suits, helmets and lights, and in the dark they sail down the underground river of the cave Ruakuriin inflatable tubes. Another favorite sport is abseiling from a hundred meters deep karst chimney - the so-called the Lost World. The Ruakuri Natural Tunnel is also worth mentioning. It is a large tunnel in the shape of the letter U, which was carved by the Waitomo River. The next interesting place is the Waitomo Walkway, a five kilometres long path leading through karst areas and the bush. In the Waitomo Caves we can also find the Museum of Caves, which shows an exhibition about the caves and the surrounding nature nature, as well as an audio-visual show about the exploration of the caves. On the hill above the Waitomo Caves, stands the Waitomo Caves Hotel built in 1908 offering a wide variety of rooms - from honeymoon suites to bunk beds for travelers. The Waitomo Caves and its surroundings is certainly worth visiting during your holiday in
New Zealand .
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Last update: Nov 10, 2012 2:40:55 PM
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Suitable for: wine, hiking, cycling trips, shopping, fishing, golf, flights, surfing, rafting, cruises
Why to go there?: rocks, lakes, glaciers