February 26, 2014. Kamahi Cottage, NZ. Waitoma Caves.

Waitoma Caves are magical. The glowworms light up and you can see them on the ceilings and walls of the cave. They are not insects like fireflies but rather are trying to attract tiny insects to eat. We had never before seen these glowworms in caves. It was like magic. The whole experience was remarkable. First we walked down hundreds of steps to get to the entrance of the cave. Next we stooped down into a four foot door to get into the cave proper. Now I am claustrophobic and we walked through the cave in the dark, holding onto the rail, with me hoping that soon we would see the end of the tunnel, but no such luck. We three sat on a bench in the pitch black and talked about Mouri culture and admired the glowworms. We were in the cave about an hour. I survived by keeping on talking. We returned along our same path and finally saw the light of day. Then, I was required to walk up those same hundreds of stairs to our van. Tonight we are staying in a charming cottage on the top of a hill in the midst of a farm. Our driver Jurgen is an excellent driver so we are set for our tour of New Zealand.