This was one of the many NZ highlights for me. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures, as photography was understandably not permitted in the caves. I hope to add some pictures from the web to this posting later.
Our visit began with a boat trip across Lake Te Anau at sunset. When we reached the caves, we were divided into three groups of about 12 in each group. Firstly, we were taken on a tour of the caves. We walked over an open-weave wire mesh floor, so we could see down to the clear rushing water below us, and admire the fantastic shapes the water had carved through the rock. There were thundering waterfalls above and beside as as well.
We then followed more walkways and ladders to the glowworm grotto. I was glad I had remembered to bring my gloves as the metal handrails were freezingly cold.
In the grotto, we were packed onto a double sided raft, asked not to make any noise, and all the lights were turned off, so the darkness was intense. Our guide hauled the raft along quietly by means of ropes attached to the cave walls, and then we were amongst the glowworms.
What a beautiful sight – something like the night sky. The glowworms are attached to the cave walls – they do not fly about like fireflies, and the light is at one end of their abdomen to attract insects. The hungrier they are, the brighter they glow. Some were so close we could have touched them (we were asked not to) and some were high above us, depending on the different heights of the caves our raft travelled through. It was a very special experience, gliding through the darkness and the silence, admiring the pinpoints of light all around us.
Admired on 15th April 2012.
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