Waitomo Caves
In Waitomo I met up with 5 others and our guide, Tom. We had a quick introduction and then I was in the air. Rappelling down 30 meters to the cave floor. Immersed into the cave. Cool feeling. Nice view. Terrible photo.
We walked upstream first. Deep in the cave we were met with an impressive sight. Thousands of glow worms covered the ceiling. We turned off our flashlights and in the darkness it looked like a sky full of stars. Then we got up close and saw how ugly they really are. And we met a cave weta too. Not scary. Not even nasty. Kinda cool in his own way.
Still without lights we sat down on rubber rings and floated back down the cave. We passed through the entrance and continued onwards into the depths of the cave. The darkness got more intense, but the glow worms and the current kept leading us further in to the cave.
We stopped at a conveniently placed dam. Right next to a small picnic spot. A hot drink and a chocolate bar made it feel much less dark and damp for a minute. Then we pushed on through some tight squeezes. I almost got stuck, but that's the point, right?
We finished the tour by climbing out of the hole. It wasn't the hardest of climbs, but I'm glad we had the safety line. Slippery rocks and a long fall. Real sense of achievement.
Rotorua
Hours later, wearing a Kiwi Cave Rafting t-shirt, I drove to Rotorua. It was a long drive and I was tired, so I stopped to have a pie. Twice. The drive really wasn't that long, but the pies were good.
I didn't know what to do once I got to Rotorua at all. My plans didn't extend that far. Should probably have booked a hostel already. Everything was booked up. When I asked, the receptionist remembered an extra bed in one of the dorms, so I got that one.
The place was smelly I thought, until I realized it wasn't the hostel, but the city itself. Or more precisely the sulphur below the city. It smells like rotten eggs. Charming.
The next morning I went to Rainbow Springs to see a Kiwi for the first time! Awesomeness. Kiwis are hatched there to improve their survival rates. In the wild their awful parents put so much effort into the laying and incubation of the egg that they can't be bothered to do any more when the chick is hatched. But the chick is cool as. Self raised from day 1. Independent like a New Zealander.
Whakatane
I made a plan to go to Rythm and Vines for New Years. To get there without too much of a drive in one day, I went to Whakatane first. I didn't know what was there, but the town looked big enough to not be boring.
My low expectations were put to shame when I arrived and found my favorite city of the summer so far. The tourism is not so intense there, but there is still plenty to do. Especially on a beautiful summer day, when all you want is to be by the sea.
I got on a tour to Moutohora (whale island). It was an incredible nature experience. We saw lots of saddlebacks, parakeets and fur seals. A couple of things made the experience complete: "finding" a wild Kiwi egg, swimming in a bay next to a mini hot water beach and our passionate (and hot) guide, Gaia.
Gisborne
Right now I am sitting on a beach in Gisborne. I've spent the night here, because I finally got what I had coming. Of course I should have booked ahead, but I'm not sure how much better that would have been. This view is priceless, toilets are close by and my car is pretty comfortable when you lay down the back seats and use the trunk for the feet. Beats last night's thin, short mattress that's for sure.
Ok, I'm off for a morning bath in the sea.
We walked upstream first. Deep in the cave we were met with an impressive sight. Thousands of glow worms covered the ceiling. We turned off our flashlights and in the darkness it looked like a sky full of stars. Then we got up close and saw how ugly they really are. And we met a cave weta too. Not scary. Not even nasty. Kinda cool in his own way.
 |
| The light comes from the body of the worm |
Still without lights we sat down on rubber rings and floated back down the cave. We passed through the entrance and continued onwards into the depths of the cave. The darkness got more intense, but the glow worms and the current kept leading us further in to the cave.
We stopped at a conveniently placed dam. Right next to a small picnic spot. A hot drink and a chocolate bar made it feel much less dark and damp for a minute. Then we pushed on through some tight squeezes. I almost got stuck, but that's the point, right?
We finished the tour by climbing out of the hole. It wasn't the hardest of climbs, but I'm glad we had the safety line. Slippery rocks and a long fall. Real sense of achievement.
 |
| Glow worms are beautiful from this distance |
Rotorua
Hours later, wearing a Kiwi Cave Rafting t-shirt, I drove to Rotorua. It was a long drive and I was tired, so I stopped to have a pie. Twice. The drive really wasn't that long, but the pies were good.
I didn't know what to do once I got to Rotorua at all. My plans didn't extend that far. Should probably have booked a hostel already. Everything was booked up. When I asked, the receptionist remembered an extra bed in one of the dorms, so I got that one.
 |
| Not sleeping in my car today. Good choice. |
The place was smelly I thought, until I realized it wasn't the hostel, but the city itself. Or more precisely the sulphur below the city. It smells like rotten eggs. Charming.
The next morning I went to Rainbow Springs to see a Kiwi for the first time! Awesomeness. Kiwis are hatched there to improve their survival rates. In the wild their awful parents put so much effort into the laying and incubation of the egg that they can't be bothered to do any more when the chick is hatched. But the chick is cool as. Self raised from day 1. Independent like a New Zealander.
Whakatane
I made a plan to go to Rythm and Vines for New Years. To get there without too much of a drive in one day, I went to Whakatane first. I didn't know what was there, but the town looked big enough to not be boring.
My low expectations were put to shame when I arrived and found my favorite city of the summer so far. The tourism is not so intense there, but there is still plenty to do. Especially on a beautiful summer day, when all you want is to be by the sea.
I got on a tour to Moutohora (whale island). It was an incredible nature experience. We saw lots of saddlebacks, parakeets and fur seals. A couple of things made the experience complete: "finding" a wild Kiwi egg, swimming in a bay next to a mini hot water beach and our passionate (and hot) guide, Gaia.
 |
| How many fur seals do you see |
Gisborne
Right now I am sitting on a beach in Gisborne. I've spent the night here, because I finally got what I had coming. Of course I should have booked ahead, but I'm not sure how much better that would have been. This view is priceless, toilets are close by and my car is pretty comfortable when you lay down the back seats and use the trunk for the feet. Beats last night's thin, short mattress that's for sure.
Ok, I'm off for a morning bath in the sea.
No comments:
Post a Comment