Waitomo: Where Dogs Went To Sleep... Underground

Arriving in the "King Country" takes the breath away. The spectacular Landscape has its hidden beauty, deep down under the ground. It is magic pure and the world under the earth, which has taken millions of years to come about is dark and sinister but mind blowing wonderful.

Waitomo isn’t only famous for its limestone caves with bizarre formations but also because of the worldwide known “Black Water Rafting” adventure.

The limestone landscape underground is an almost never-ending channel system of around 300 known caves. The caves creation took place over a very long period of time – more than 30 million years through geological and volcanic activity.

The earth movements caused the hard limestone beneath the sea to bulge and rise up out of the water. Once the limestone was exposed to the air, it separated into big blocks of rock that were filled with cracks where water could flow through and over the millions of years larger caverns were finally formed.

Stalactites (grow down) and stalagmites (grow up from the cave floor) began to grow and these sensible and slow growing (a stalactite grows around 1 cm3 every 100 years) formations are the ones that decorate the caves beautifully these days.

One of the caves that is accessible for the public is the “Ruakuri Cave” named after a group of dogs who occupied the caves entrance until they got killed and eaten by a Maori war party around 350 years ago. The place was used as one of the Maori burial grounds – “wahi tapu” and therefore a sacred area. “Rua” meaning two (or many in this context) and “kuri” meaning dogs.

The Ruakuri cave opened its door to visitors for the first time in 1904. Its existence was remarkable for the tourist board and even more so since the tourism business started to kick in 10 years ago.

The legendary Black Water Rafting Co. felt that trend already 22 years ago. It is New Zealand’s first black water adventure tour operator. An experience of its own a thrilling and at the same time peaceful adventure trip.

Equipped with a lush looking wetsuit, a blue helmet and a black rubber ring prepares our group for a one hour 30 minute subterranean black labyrinth tour. Climbing down into the upside down world was scary but exciting. Once the eyes adjusted to the darkness it went deeper and further down – walking along the limestone without knowing where your next step will lead to. The fear of the unknown was soon gone and the excitement of the new was far more important.

The air was fresh and cold, the water that started to circle around the ankles was even colder. Feeling like a sneak who slinks even further down a sudden sound of strong water flow was heard and there he was the first little jump down the waterfall. That is why the rubber ring is needed. Once again my breath stopped and with my courage pulled together and: one, two and jump – splash! It's hard to put that experience into words, it was simply wicked.

Not long until the second waterfall came round the corner and once again – jump, the excitement was pure.

Finally the more quiet part of the tour started where one floated serenely down the river while enjoying the magical and mystical glowworms hanging far down from the ceiling. This creature isn’t as the name would suggest a worm, it is a fly belonging to the "gnat" family. The Maori call them “titiwai” meaning lights reflected in water.

Before the water slowly brings you out into the sunlight of Waitomo Forest you pass through under a dark sky full of glowing stars that really do take the breath away. The World seemed miles away and it felt incredibly peaceful and quiet. In booking that adventure of black water rafting you will not fail to be amazed by the majesty and beauty of limestone formations and glowworms.

A subterranean New Zealand is waiting for all and it is just as breathtaking and stunning as the landscape above the ground.

Limestone: fossil rock made up of the remains of millions of marine animals, which were broken down by the sea into tiny particles that slowly settled on the seabed. In some areas of Waitomo the limestone is over 200meters thick.

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