Yes, we made it all the way back to Auckland! We spent most of yesterday in the Waitomo Caves area and then drove here. Tuesday morning we went on a tour of the waitomo Gloworm cave. This involves a 30 minute bus drive through steep windy roadsto the entry of the cave. There our guide outfitted us with helmets complete with little falshlights – felt like we were all going into the coal mines! He then led us into the cave, to see beautiful limetstone stalagtites and stalagmites, by the side of an underground river. After a short walk we loaded onto a raft and floated further into the cave. All around us were little pinpricks of glowing lights, like tiny stars. These are the gloworms: tiny fly like insects that in the larval stage glow to attract their prey ( other insects). It is a really stunning sight, and as we pulled our raft up to the side again, we extinguished all lights and walked further in to the cave – a little disconcerting in the complete dark, but in when our eyes adjusted, what a sight. We took seats in a little grotto and were surrounded by twinkling atrs like lights, accompanied by the sound of rushing water. we then returned, by raft and foot, to where we started.
What an experience, complete with tea, coffee and cookies at the end! Our guide was great – a real exoert in rocks, and caves, he actually has a degree in geology! He also found a few snails to smash and handfeed to the the eel hiding under the rocks in the stream. Quinn and Dylan both had a go feeding him, and Quinn even wandered offf and found his own snails, smashed them and fed the eel a second helping!
After that we headed for the sun and sand of the beach at Kawhia, This is a black sand beach with hot springs under the beach. If you dig your feet in at the right spot, the water is actually hot enough to scald. The boys had a blast body surfing – took them a liitle tile and some yelled instruction from Mom and Dad to get it right! The water is much warmer than the South Island beaches, closer to what they will get in Hawaii.
Then, after a quick picnic lunch, it was off to Auckland! Not a very scenic drive, and the outskirts of Aukland are veruy much like the sprawl of the vancouver area – pretty seedy looking actual;ly. I can see why the South Islanders say ” it is just another big city” !
Today we will head down to the waterfront exploring and hopefully find the nicer parts of Auckland.
More later