Guide · Waikato
Waitomo, our backyard.
Our agency is based in Otorohanga, ten minutes from the cave turn-off. Waitomo isn't a pin on our map, it's where we take our own visiting friends. Here's how to do it properly.
01
The Glowworm Caves
The classic Glowworm Grotto boat ride is worth it, but try to book the first departures of the day, when the cave is silent and the glowworms read as a solid ceiling of stars. Ruakuri Cave is the more dramatic walk: spiral entrance, limestone draperies, and glowworms close enough to see the fishing lines. Aranui is the quietest of the three and our pick for photographers.
02
Blackwater Rafting
Floating an underground river in a wetsuit sounds gimmicky; it really isn't. The Black Labyrinth tour is the gentle version, the Black Abyss adds abseiling and a flying fox for those who want it. Go in the morning, then spend the afternoon on dry land, Marokopa Falls and the Mangapohue Natural Bridge are twenty minutes west and free to walk.
03
Where to stay
Most visitors day-trip from Auckland or Rotorua and miss the point. Stay the night and you get the caves at opening, the falls at golden hour, and a proper country breakfast. We work directly with Waitomo Orchard Estate B&B, a highly rated country-estate stay on Whitbourne Road, mere minutes from the caves, with home baking and a breakfast that certainly earns its reviews.