5 Caving Adventures in One

I am super surprised I'm still awake after the adrenaline rush I had earlier today!

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.

I think the normal price for this tour was around $200-250, but, we managed to find a good deal on bookme.co.nz which definitely saved us a bit of money. No matter though, it is definitely worth the money you pay for. The whole tour is interactive and the guide is great. They are friendly, approachable, informative and most importantly- they make you feel like you're in great hands.

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

Dive Sites and Snorkeling Spots

I am still working towards getting my PADI certification, but until I have the time to be able to do this course properly I'll just keep on doing the introduction dives for now.

Introduction dives are a good way to start off if you're nervous about jumping into a full course straight away. It'll give you the basic instructions on buoyancy, air control and the underwater hand signals you need.

I've been to five spots so far and hope to add more to this as time goes. Although, the few spots I have been to have been amazing diving and snorkeling sites with abundant underwater life.

All these dive shops were PADI members and rated with 5 stars.

* FIJI - Mantaray Island
When I went here, this was operated by Reef Safari. Now the island runs their own dive shop called Mantaray Dive- http://www.stayinfiji.com/accommodation/diving.htm

This has been my favorite spot so far. So, so, so many different types of fish and it was at its best at about 830 in the morning. If you remember that scene from Finding Nemo where he takes his son to school and there are just schools and schools of fish swimming about...it was exactly like that but more! (Sorry, that was the best way of describing how it was!)


*SAMOA- Aqua Samoa at Aggie Greys Hotel and Resort
This was in their dive site called the 'Fish Bowl', about a 20 minute boat ride from the harbour.
http://www.aquasamoa.com/


*NORTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND- Poor Knights Island
This site was named by Jacques-Yves Cousteau as one of the top-ten dive sites in the world. Not too shabby for lil 'ol NZ.
http://www.aperfectday.co.nz/


*GREAT BARRIER REEF, Australia
If you can, definitely do a sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands and tell your captain that he MUST stop at Whitehaven Beach. This is only THE BEST beach I have ever been to yet (you can read a little more on my post about Adventure Tours Australia). Powder, white sand and baby reef sharks and stingrays in the shallower waters. It takes about a half hour hike to get from the beach entrance to where this beach is located (nearly on opposites sides of the island).
http://www.explorewhitsundays.com/content/sail-dive


*GILI TRAWANGAN, Indonesia
While I only snorkeled here, this island and Gili Air are well known for its coral reefs right off the coast which will be perfect for diving as well. Each time I entered the water, I was lucky enough to be able to swim with a big sea turtle which made my stay here even more special. The currents here are a little strong so you do have to be a little careful and wary of being taken with the tide.