Abseiling and Black Water Rafting

Trip Start Feb 16, 2008
1
21
33
Trip End Jul 22, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of New Zealand  , North Island,
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Stine and I traveled to Waitomo on the North Island for the infamous glo-worm caves and for black water rafting.  We both really wanted to do both black water rafting AND abseiling, which is like repelling, into a cave.  We found a pretty sweet deal allowing us to abseil into the cave, do some caving, learning about the caves, see the glo-worms, black water raft, and then rock climb out of the cave.  Black water rafting is essentially tubing down a river through a cave - sometimes with the lights out.  It's pretty awesome.  It's like tubing down the Salt River, for you Sun Devils, minus the beer and the 105 degree temps.  We had to wear wetsuits, pants over the wetsuits (pretty sexy), wellies, and helmets.  The water is cold, but it's wasn't as bad as we were anticipating.  Both Stine and I were a little nervous about the abseil, but once we both go going, it was awesome. The mouth of the cave was just spectacular!!! Once in the cave, we had to unhook ourselves and move across the rushing water of the cave to the other side.  With our guide and the two German kids also in our group, we fought the current upstream to see some of the spectacular formations in the cave.  I'm a little clutzy and would occasionally trip here and there, but felt much better,when Paul, our guide, would do the same.  I blame the cave, not my uneasy feet. 

The caves in this area are renowned for their glo-worms.  Basically, they are a larvae that live on the ceiling of the cave.  The light they emit attracts their prey - other insects living in the cave.  Sounds a little gross maybe, but it's amazing to see.  It's like looking up at the sky and seeing every star possible, but they are millions of miles closer.  I swear, I saw both the big dipper and the southern cross (my new favorite constellation - only viewable from the Southern Hemisphere) down there!  Just amazing! Millions of them!

After that, we tubed down the rapids in pitch dark!  It was a pretty cool feeling.  Our guide Paul, who was about 40 was like a big kid down there.  We'd go over one rapid and he's say, "Ok, do you guys want to go again?!"  Paul's former career was a geologist in Australia, so he was very informative about the cave and how it was formed.  I generally like stuff like that, so I was asking all kinds of questions.  A few times I thought to myself, "this is just like Goonies!" and then thought how ridiculous it was that I was comparing this amazing experience to a movie, and laughing at how many times throughout my trip that I've actually done that!  I guess it's better that I'm in the cave doing it, then sitting on my couch watching it, right! 

My favorite part of the whole day, was after rafting down the rapids, we had to walk along the rapids and along the sides of the cave to get back to where we started and where we needed to climb out, all the while, carrying the black inner tube.  I loved the challenge of fighting through the rushing water and feeling our way along the cave.  I can't believe how slip proof  those bright white wellies were!  WOW!  I guess I felt like I had worked and accomplished something.  We then climbed the rocks out of the cave,which was tough only because it's not easy to rock climb in a soaking wet suit and wellies. 

Stine and I had a ridiculously good time down there.  We hit the hot tub at the hostel before cleaning up and getting a beer.  I must note though, the hostel also had a giant trampoline!  Nothing like jumping on a trampoline under the stars!!! So before the hot tub, I bounced around on that for awhile -- something I don't think I've done since my junior year of high school! . The cave
The cave
Slideshow Print this entry Auckland hotels