'Black Water' Rafting in Waitomo

From Hamilton, we set off for the famous Waitomo Caves, where you lay on an innertube, in a wetsuit, with a headlamp in a dark cave to look at these wonderful glow worms that hang on the ceiling like stars in the sky.

The funny thing about law in New Zealand is that apparently no one sues each other, or their system is such that it is hard (unclear), so all of these goofy things we do (sledging, inner tubing in dark caves), we sign a sort-of waiver, but it isn't very explicit in the way that Americans know as 'signing your life away' to do extreme activities.

So first we had to practice, in the light, jumping off a 10-foot ledge, with our tube.

Apparently this is the equivalent of an ordinary walk in the park for Kiwis...


Then we had to climb down this small entryway into the cave...

We had to often float under 3 foot openings...pretty gnarly. Again, I feel/look like I'm 12...


This is what the glowworms look like...you're literally laying back in your tube just taking in the grandeur of such a wonder.

This is what they look like with a flash on them!