Today we went deep underground… twice.
And honestly, if we’d only done the boat cave we’d have felt a bit robbed.
But together, the two-cave combo turned into a massive, cracking day out.
Stop 1: Ruakuri Cave — The Big One
The first cave was Ruakuri Cave, part of the official combo and the proper adventure cave of the two. You enter through a huge spiral ramp that feels like you’re walking into the centre of the Earth, then the whole thing opens up into long winding tunnels and massive stone chambers.
Everything down there looks sculpted rather than natural.
Ridges stacked like pancakes, cathedral-tall ceilings, stalactites dripping like wax, and limestone formations that have been growing for millions of years.
Georgia was straight into explorer mode, torch in hand, poking into every corner. Dotty took it all in one corridor at a time, and the air had that cool, ancient quiet that you only get in big underground systems.
It easily took over an hour.
You feel like you’ve actually been somewhere, not just walked in and out.
Stop 2: Waitomo Glowworm Cave — The Famous One
After that, we headed to the one everyone knows:
Waitomo Glowworm Cave.
The walk-in bits are short and guided, and then you pile onto a silent boat.
Phones away, no talking, nothing but the sound of water and the roof slowly filling with thousands of tiny blue lights.
It’s surreal.
Like drifting under a living night sky.
Beautiful, but honestly… if we’d only done this one it would’ve been a bit light for the price. The glowworms are stunning but the ride is quick. Doing it with Ruakuri is what makes the whole thing feel like a proper day out.
Overall
By the time we got out, we’d done:
✔ Two caves
✔ Two totally different experiences
✔ A couple of hours of walking
✔ A peaceful boat ride
✔ And about 50,000 years of geology in one go
Not cheap, but combined it hit the sweet spot.
Another full-on New Zealand day ticked off.
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