Waitomo Caves

- 38.2606512175.1033378Koordinaten: 38 ° 15 ' 38 " S, 175 ° 6' 12" E

The Waitomo Caves are located in the southern Waitomo district of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometers northwest of Te Kuiti.

The main caves of Waitomo Cave, Aranui Cave and Cave Ruakuri.

Waitomo Cave

The Waitomo Cave is famous for its so-called Glowworms ( Arachnocampa luminosa, not to be confused with the German fireflies ). It is transparent worm-like fungus gnat larvae, hanging on the ceiling. These can be long hanging sticky threads. Through the bluish light in insects that get trapped in threads. The larva will pull the thread with the loot then. The bluish light is produced from luciferin with the enzyme luciferase.

The word Waitomo comes from the Māori words wai (water) and tomo ( sinkhole or Ponor ).

Ruakuri Cave

The name of the cave " den of dogs" is derived from a pack of feral dogs, which is said to have lived in it. This cave is the largest of the three caves. From it you can rappel about 100 m to the deeper Mangapu Cave. In the cave there are Glowworms and stalactites. In the cave shots for the film The Navigator were made. The discovery of the cave was made in 1904 by James Holden.

Aranui Cave

The Aranui Cave is the smallest of the three caves and about 2 km from the Waitomo Cave. In it there is no Glowworms, but many of the ceiling hanging stalactites. It was discovered in 1911 on the hunt of the Maori Ruruku Aranui.

The limestone caves are popular show caves which are traveled by boats.

Swell

• The New Zealand Book, NZ Visitor Publications Ltd.. , Nelson 2003 ISBN 1-877339-00-8