Waitomo: Black Water Rafting & More

Why do I schedule things like this?



When we first started looking at things to do in New Zealand we came across Black Water Rafting and B's face lit up.

Can you guess which one is me in the picture?



It involves some of my favorite things like the dark, being in the water in the dark, being in the freezing water in the dark, being in the freezing water in the dark with who knows what else and being in the freezing water in the dark with who knows what else and traveling underground in a cave system.



We drove into Waitomo in the morning and met up with our guides and group. Then we got fitted with wetsuits that were almost the right size and headed into the water.

Pictures were provided by the rafting company. It was so dark inside that when you turned off your lights your could see absolutely nothing.

I couldn't figure out why it was so foggy in the cave and then B pointed out that it was actually my breath rising in front of the light on my head.

By the way... wet suit and helmet with headlight are considered very sexy for a honeymoon. Right?



So basically you hike down into the cave system and take a jump into the water and float down the underground river. Only when you jump you hold the tube behind your bum and jump backwards off the little waterfall hoping to land on the tube. We practiced that earlier.

Now is a good time to say that while we were in the water our guide pointed out an eel. Why? I have no idea. Why do that to me? Do you remember how creepy those things are?



What we really came to see were these. In these caves are glow worms and when you look up its similar to looking at a starry sky. Its really magical.

The very fantastic guides let us know that they are actually maggots and their poop is what glows. Its used to lure in something to eat. We paid money to float in the darkness to see glowing maggot poop.



This is the view and the end of our trip underground. You come up in the forest and it looks exactly this gorgeous.

If you ever have this opportunity do not pass it up. Its really not scary like it sounds although there were definitely moments I was nervous. But thats mostly because I'm weird.



The caves themselves are stacked with stalactites and stalagmites and its like stepping into a movie. Mystical. These formations we saw took something like 4 million years to be created.



This is the whole that we popped out of.



After we took a hot shower and our fingers and toes started to thaw out we went back to the forest and took a hike around.



Through tunnels and down paths and into this little piece of heaven.



The river system was underneath us. Of course we didn't come down this part.



Everything is lush and green and I can only imagine what it would look like when we aren't in the "dry" season.



The sun was shining through the trees above and everywhere are sounds of life in the forest.



So many incredible ferns.



I think that if we stood there long enough we might have been covered in moss also.



Its seems there is life on every surface of the forest.

Its so beautiful.

When was the last time you took a walk outside?