a glowing holiday.

Over Christmas break we took a short, four day holiday up north to Waitomo. Though we have been here for nearly a year this is was our first real New Zealand adventure. The drive from Wellington to Waitomo took a solid six hours along State Highways 3 and 4. Early on Seth suggested that we simply continue along SH3 and skip 4 altogether, but though it looks shorter on paper it is actually a longer journey. It is important when planning out a trip in New Zealand to take into account winding roads and mountains. Though it is helpful to use a paper map on your actual journey, for timing consult Google.  

The road signs in New Zealand can be a bit confusing at times. State Highways aren't listed as being directional, but rather, towards the next largest city. So for instance it's good to know if Hamilton is in the direction of your destination or away from it. This is where that paper map really comes in handy. Many turn-offs sneak up on you as well, with no signage given until the turn is upon you. The same goes for toilets and scenic pullovers. Generally the speed limit is 50 kph (30mph) in built up towns and 100 kph (62mph) everywhere else, though with all the sharp, winding turns you often end up going far slower. If you find you are going too slow and traffic is building up find a safe place to pull off and let traffic pass. There will also be occasional passing lanes, though most of the time the highway is one lane. If you are not passing, be sure to stay in the left-hand lane. 

Watch out for sudden herds of sheep.

Petrol stations are often few and far between, so fill up if you think you are going to need it and be sure to take breaks for food and toilet when the opportunity presents itself. There are many scenic pull-offs with picnic tables and stunning views, providing a nice place to stop for a picnic lunch.

The big draw of Waitomo is it's many caves which are full of glowworms. Originally I thought there was only one glowworm cave, but it turns out there are many and there are three main companies that offer tours. We chose to go with the "official" Waitomo Glowworm Cave, which offers a 45 minute tour. This is by far the most touristy cave experience on offer, but as one of our pairing can't see in low-light and the other has extreme anxiety about being underground 45 minutes was more than enough. If you are looking for a more intimate and lengthy caving experience we have heard only good things about Spellbound.

To avoid the large crowds that can usually be found at the Waitomo Glowworm Cave we booked in to a special 7pm tour that is only offered in late December and early January. This tour takes place after the large crowds have gone home and only consists of 25 people. The first part of the tour is a guided walk through the upper rooms of the cave with information on how it all formed and the life-cycle of a glowworm. The tour ends with a short boat ride under thousands of glowworms all shining like the night sky. Since we took the last tour of the day our guide went slower in this portion of the journey, rounding our tour out to one hour.

No photography is allowed inside the cave as light can not only affect the glowworms, but the experience of your fellow visitors so please keep your cellphones away. During the boat portion it is also important that you keep quiet to really enjoy your surroundings and to allow others to do the same. If you have easily excitable children, or like some adults on our journey, don't follow instructions very well, it is best to avoid this particular destination.

If you prefer to go by your own steam or avoid being underground, never fear, there is a free glowworm viewing option in Waitomo! Take a short drive over to Ruakuri Scenic Reserve after dark to see nature's light show in the open air. We found it helpful to keep our torch off the whole time so we could really see the glowworms. Though there is a high concentration on either side of the bridge, they light up much of the trail. Mainly on the rocky walls, but also in the crevices of trees. 

Ruakuri is also worth seeing in the light of day, a short walk, it can be paired with the much longer Waitomo Walkway, bringing the journey to a full hour and a half each way. The Waitomo Walkway is a bit difficult to find by some maps given out in the area. We picked it up right behind the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, though as we later discovered it actually starts directly across the street from the Waitomo Village iSite. The Walkway takes you through a bit of bush at the Johnston Memorial Grove, then over a fence and through a cow pasture. Eventually you are brought back into the bush where you connect up with the Ruakuri Bush Walk and the scenery changes from grassy fields to a magical forest with remnants of caves gone by.

After a long day of cave exploration stop by the iSite to visit the Cave Museum. Usually $5 per person, the entrance fee is reduced to $2 if you have done any of the local cave tours on the same day. It's not fancy by any means, but it does provide scientific insight to many of the natural features that can be seen in the area.

Waitomo Village runs very much on tourism, during the day it is busy with heaps of tour buses traveling in, but when the caves close at 4pm the rest of the village shuts as well. Bear this in mind when planning meals and evening activities. We had meals at Curly's Bar, Morepork, and picked up snacks at the General Store which is open til 10.30pm though there are a few more options on offer in the area. There is also a 24 hour McDonald's in the neighbouring town of Otorohanga and a grocery store in Te Kuiti.

If you're still up for more adventure, just an hour drive to Marokopa has much to offer. There are multiple stop-offs along the way that feature natural bridges that defy reason, stunning waterfalls, and a free, public cave. Be sure to bring your swim trunks, because your end destination features a lovely beach with black, magnetic sand. It is amazing to see the landscape transition from mountainous farmland to a coastal town complete with a beach.