The Waitomo Glowworm Cave is likely the most famous among the numerous glowworm caves scattered across New Zealand. These caves are home to native glowworms, which are found in significant numbers only here and, in smaller populations, in a few caves in Tasmania. Seeing thousands of glowworms illuminate a dark cave ceiling creates a magical, starry-sky effect, making for a truly unique experience.
From Hamilton to Waitomo to Coromandel
It’s only about an hour’s drive from Hamilton to the Waitomo Cave. After visiting the cave, I headed up to Coromandel on the Coromandel Peninsula. The 200 km journey took well over 3 hours because roughly half of the route winds along the shoreline of the peninsula, where the narrow, twisting roads make for slower driving.
The Waitomo Caves
There are three distinct caves in the Waitomo area: Waitomo, Ruakuri, and Aranui Caves. The first two have active streams running through them, creating ideal habitats for glowworms, while Aranui is a dry cave. You can visit any of the caves individually or choose a combination package, but all three are accessible only via guided tours. I opted for Waitomo and Aranui.
In my opinion, Aranui can easily be skipped if you’ve seen other caves with stalagmites and stalactites, as it’s pleasant but not extraordinary – certainly not enough to justify the additional AUD 50 over a single entry to Waitomo.
Regarding Waitomo: if this is your only chance to see a glowworm cave, it’s definitely worth a visit. However, be aware that guides restrict photography until the final (less impressive) section of the cave. Additionally, there are some free glowworm caves around New Zealand; if your route takes you near one of these, you might consider skipping Waitomo altogether. I later visited Waipu Caves and found that experience even more enjoyable—but more on that soon.
Concerning Glowworms
Having a guided tour means you actually learn something – in this case about the glowworms, which I found fascinating: glowworms are actually the larval stage of the fungus gnat. They remain in this state for around 11 months, during which they cling to the cave walls and release sticky silk threads to trap insects. Once an insect is caught, it sustains the glowworm for about a month. After 11 months as larvae, they enter a cocoon for about a month to complete their metamorphosis, eventually emerging as adult flies.
Interestingly, the adult flies lack both a mouth and a stomach, so their only purpose is reproduction. They typically die of starvation within three days – unless they’re caught by their glowworm cousins first. It’s the circle of life!
Enjoy the few pictures of the glowworms I managed to capture:
