There is not a single city in the King Country region. The sparsely populated hilly area in New Zealand attracts tourists with its natural beauty. The Waitomo Caves have become the main attraction and hallmark of the North Island.
All settlements here are service centers serving the towns of Taumarunui and Te Kuiti. A dozen kilometers from the latter is the main target of tourists.
Amazing discovery
There are approximately 300 caves in the vast Waitomo karst system. The name is translated from Maori "water flowing through the hole".
The locals knew about the existence of these caves before the arrival of the colonizers. The outside world learned about the amazing place only by the end of the nineteenth century. In 11887 Fred Mace spoke about the system. Together with the leader Tane Tinorau, he investigated the system.
The shock of the researcher was caused by the incredible beauty of bizarre limestone formations on the walls, and the ceiling glowing like a starry sky. The visit opened in 1889, and since 1900 the guided tours have been run by the Maori.
The popularity of the caves increased in 1904. Since then, the system has gained worldwide fame.
Unusual builders
In 1910 a hotel was opened for guests. The descendants of the leader who allowed a visit to Waitomo take an active part in the preservation of the sights.
The unique system is included in the list of must-see attractions in New Zealand. The main interest is not the branching and confusion, but the special inhabitants.
The local grottoes are home to a special kind of insect, Arachnocampa luminosa or mushroom gnats. It is their larvae that weave nests from silk. Thin trapping threads hang down from them. The entire structure is then illuminated by the body of the "builder". This is intended to attract other insects.
In the larval stage, most of the life of the rare New Zealand insect passes. Light is produced by the reaction of a chemical in the tail of the larva with oxygen. Glowing Nets are a loot trap.
Firefly cave
In dark and damp caves, fireflies are not afraid of anyone. The threads do not dry out, the wind does not damage them, they are clearly visible in the light. There is a lot of loot, so the inhabitants of Waitomo never go hungry. However, some scientists are considering the version that fireflies-mosquitoes glow exclusively from hunger.
Thanks to the trap design, the cave is illuminated with a fabulous bluish-green glow. The "ceiling" turns into a sky strewn with twinkling stars. The threads themselves are noticeable up close. Insects frightened by loud sounds extinguish the lights, the cave plunges into darkness.
This amazing place is visited not only because of the fireflies, but also because of the strikingly beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. In addition to the usual routes, on foot and by boat, an extreme option is provided.
The route passes through grottoes illuminated by fireflies, and partly in complete darkness.
Hard-to-reach corners of the system are used for speleological competitions.
