My finance's stint in New Zealand is slowly coming to an end and he had not done one adventurous thing while here. I was told bungy jumping and sky diving was out of the question, and we had missed out on the shotover jet in Queenstown so I told him the other thing he could do was blackwater tubing in the Waitomo Caves. He was keen on this idea, so I did some research as to which company was best to go with (and which had discounts as we were on a tight budget) and I came across a company called Kiwi Cave Rafting. They offered the traditional glowworm tubing but also upped the anti. This wasn't your typical tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. This company offered a 5 hour tour which involved:
- abseiling 27 metres down into the cave,- blackwater caving and tubing through glowworm caves,
- squeezing through some tight crevices, and
- a moderate rock climb back up to the service.
Also, they treated you to a nice, hot cup of soup at the end of the tour to help warm you up while you viewed the photos your guide took while on the trip.
We went in July which is nearing the end of Winter. After a week of terrible weather we got a beautiful, clear day. Never the less it was still chilly, especially in the wind, but funnily enough it was much, much warmer in the caves. Plus they give you great gear which keeps you quite warm despite the crisp water. Also, after a bit of exploring our guide (Rachel) sat us down for a bit of a break and handed out hot juice and some chocolate to keep our energy levels up. This was unexpected as they didn't mention this on any brochure so I thought this was a nice touch.
We would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a bit of adventure. It does test your fitness a bit, but in saying that, this tour is for all levels of athleticism. The guide is great and they will do all they can to make you feel comfortable and safe.
KIWI CAVE RAFTING
www.caveraft.co.nz
www.facebook.com/kiwicaveraftingnz
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