Waitomo Caves and Goodbye to the North Island

At 7:30 am, after Navigating through Auckland’s morning traffic, I joined up with Olivia and Doug at the Auckland airport, a bit late. It was so great to see them, familiar faces after being away from home, friends and family for 5 weeks.

We immediately drove out of the bloody city and headed for the Waitomo Caves, near the center of the North Island. After they got settled in, we took an absolutely amazing tour of a glow worm cave. To gain access to the cave, we took a nice little bus ride through sheep pastures into a charming ravine. We took a short walk down to the mouth of the first cave and stopped to feed some freshwater eels living in the creek that was flowing into the cave. The guide submerged goat meat into the water, and soon five eels swam up the creek to get the food, it was crazy!

(Trip into the ravine)

(Feeding the eels)

(Mouth of the first cave)

The first cave was filled with NZ’s famous glow worms hanging from the ceiling. These are not actually worms, but the larvae stage of an insect. They live in silk hammocks and catch their food with sticky silk strands that hang beneath them. They attract bugs by glowing, which is light created by a biological chemical reaction.

(Glow worms)

Thousands of these worms covered the ceiling of the cave, and their bluish glow made it look like a three dimensional starry sky, it was so beautiful and like nothing I’ve ever seen! We jumped into a raft and floated on the under ground river to get even more spectacular views of these incredible creatures. Our group turned off all headlamps and flashlights to let our eyes adjust to the blackness. Even though we were on a river in an underground cave, we were able to see each other in the light created by these creatures. It was just incredible!

(Glow worms lined the ceiling of the cave like a 3D sky)

(Raft ride in cave and larvae close up (professional photos))

The next day we drove to Tongariro National Park, home of three active volcanoes: Mt. Ruapehu, Mt. Tongariro, and Mt. Ngauruhoe (aka Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings). The drive was spectacular with views of green pastures in the foreground and jagged snow-covered peaks in the background. We stayed at Whakapapa Village, with a stunning view of Mt. Doom. The whole area, although desolate and brown, was still very beautiful in its own way. You could tell that the volcanic activity of the area has changed the whole ecosystem. The next day we planned to do one of the most famous hikes in New Zealand, the grueling 17km (10 mile) Tongariro Crossing. Unfortunately, I think some of the evil from Mt. Doom came out on me because that day on a small hike, on completely flat ground, I sprained my ankle! With the Tongariro Crossing the next day, there was no way I could make it, and opted to stay behind. Doug and Olivia ended up completing this trek the next day and said it was completely epic. The views of the volcanic landscape, the incredible winds, and the technical climbs and trails made this trail one of the hardest hikes, but it was well worth it. I’d wished I’d gotten to go. Instead, I did a short 1 hr hike and nursed my ankle.

(Road to Tongariro, Mt. Ruapehu)

(In front of Ruapehu, and Mt. Doom)

(Short and windy hike near Mt. Ruapehu

After Tongariro, we drove to Wellington and visited Rob and Debby and Bob and Shelly. We all had a great visit on a beautiful summer evening with, surprisingly, no wind! Since we were strapped for time a bit, we only made a quick stop in Te Papa Museum before saying good bye to the North Island and boarded the ferry for the South Island. So the moment we’ve all been talking about and waiting for is here: The beautiful South Island. With all the buildup and anticipation, this place almost seems like a dream, a utopia, a mecca. A place filled with magic and beauty that no one has ever talked bad about. We are finally going there.

The ferry ride was remarkable. It was really my first time on a ship in the open sea and I was awestruck by the power and size of the waves and the strength of the winds out there. It was scary being on the deck, but somehow the deck was enticing. It was a humbling experience to be out on the deck feeling the wind, tasting the ocean spray, braving the elements. Sometimes the ship would crush huge waves, sending a low rumble throughout the cabin. The ocean was a beautiful blue green, and the sounds surrounding Picton, our destination, were just gorgeous. It reminded me of the San Juan Islands, only much more mountainous. We’re in the cute and beautiful town of Picton now, the gateway to the South Island. Some say that New Zealand starts here.

(Picton Ferry to the South Island. Because of the geography, its actually an East to West trip instead of South)