Waitomo Caves: Lost World

Our first legit adventure on the bus tour of our trip was a "Lost World" 4hr caving adventure in Waitomo. It was a pretty rainy and miserable day so it was a perfect opportunity to spend the day below ground. We were the only people on the bus that were interested in the “Lost World” cave tour so we ended up having our own private guide.

 

The tour starts with a 330 foot abseil down into the tunnel system. From the top you can see the stream that runs through the tunnel system. The highlight of the trip was definitely the abseil. After the 30 min decent we scrambled through the tunnels (safely clipped to an anchored guide rope). To get back out of the tunnel you start with a 100+ foot climb up a ladder. This was really cool because the guide left us at the bottom to prepare for our ascent. After Jess was on her way up the ladder I was left at the bottom to enjoy the glow worms that cover the roof of the cave.

It may not have been as extreme as some of the other experiences in New Zealand, (Bungee, Sky diving), but I prefer less expensive things that last a little longer where I don’t need to clean the crap out of my pants after.