Waitomo Caves

Underground - soft and hard adventure

You will find this fabulous lost world both eerie and captivating, but you'll need to go underground to see it.

Waitomo is the gateway to a dark, subterranean world of limestone formations and a galaxy of living lights hidden below the green paddocks of the King Country.

Leaving the sunlight behind, you will climb down into an underground network of caverns and passages dripping with pristine crystal formations - limestone curtains, dainty stalactite straws, flowstone, crystal tapestries and hefty stalagmites.

Don’t worry, it's guaranteed safe and you won’t be alone. Tour guides deliver an informative commentary on this awesome environment, sharing natural history and cultural legends.

For a little more adventure there’s the option of blackwater rafting where you drift down a cave stream on a tube beneath ceilings of sparkling glowworm larvae.

And for the ultimate underworld adventure, opt for the full caving experience - abseiling massive tomos and waterfalls, rock-climbing, crawling and grovelling through squeezes, and gliding down rocky chutes and vaulted limestone galleries.

Just take your togs and towel; the staff will supply the tubes, wetsuits, helmets, abseiling devices and safety equipment. They will also teach you how to work ropes and identify formations.

There’s even a hot shower to look forward to at the end of your adventure.