New Zealand - Rotorua

We left our hotel in Hamilton, and headed for a side trip to Waikato and the Waitomo Caves. We had our own private guide, who also happens to be the great granddaughter of Chief Taane Tinorau. The Maori didn’t spend much time adventuring through the cave system, but you can see why it would be hard for me to resist. What’s not to love about dark unknown spaces? A man by the name of Fred Mace apparently couldn’t resist the call of adventure either. Mace and Taane are considered to be the first to explore the caves, and Tanne continued to lead tours into the caves afterwards. The history books tell us the government became concerned about the number of visitors and the need to protect the caves from vandalism and graffiti, and thus tried to purchase the land. According to our guide, the government saw the enormous potential the caves offered and tried to trick the chief into surrendering the land, which led to the Scenery Preservation Act of 1903.

The caves were truly majestic. Our guide pointed out the geology of the caves and the atmospheric conditions. Of course, the big draw of this particular cave is the glowworms (Arachnocampa luminosa). The threads of the worms are invisible in the dark, but when you shine light upon them they glisten and you can see each intricate bead. We hopped into the boat and drifted out to the darkest part of the caves. Overhead there were thousands of sparkling lights (kind of sounds like the Main Street Electrical Parade, doesn’t it?). The lights are bluish in hue and clump together like a mini galaxy. While all of the footage that I saw on BBC’s Planet Earth was incredible, it can’t do true life justice. While the series takes many into situations that most will never get a chance to encounter; it cannot take place of the actual experience.

From Waikato we then headed to Rotorua. Now, Rotorua is known for its sulfuric smell because this is a geothermal hotspot. I can only imagine what this area must have been like only a century or two ago. All over the forest floor are large craters fallen from the acidic conditions. Geothermal pools bubble as the steam rises. As you stare out into the temperate forest, you can see the steam rise from the thick of the trees. It almost makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the age of the dinosaurs.

I’m staying at a Best Western here in Rotorua. All of the accommodations have been much nicer than I expected. They’re nothing like the fancy hotels in the states. They’re nice in a completely different way. In New Zealand lodgings seem to try to make each stay a home away from home. This particular one even appears to have a small “backyard” where the springs run through. Also in the back is your own private Jacuzzi (you know I’m taking advantage of that, even if it’s 41 degrees Fahrenheit outside). There’s a small playground and a nine hole mini golf on the grounds. All of the staff have been incredibly gracious, treating you like guests in their homes.

Across the street from the hotel is the Rainbow Springs Nature Park. It’s a small park really, but one of the nicer ones that I’ve been to (and I don’t just mean on this trip). One of the nicest features is that they offer a 24 hour pass and stay open until 9 pm. That means, that if you buy your ticket at 8 pm, you can return the following morning. Plus, it’s not often that you find a zoological park open past dusk (especially during the off season). The grounds are beautifully lit with multitudes of dim lights in various colors. As you enter the park, the ground opens up to a large pool where the rainbow trout swim. While there are fences to keep you away from the animal, they mix in well with the scenery (wood fences with a wooden boardwalk), so that you feel that you are in an open natural park. In fact, if you were to disobey all the rules, are animals are truly close enough for you to touch, with very little actually separating you from them. A truly incredible encounter.