It would have been hard to leave the Coromandel today but there was some weather coming in and as the clouds gathered it made it easier to say our goodbyes. Another stunningly scenic drive, this time to Waitomo, land of the underwater caves and home to black water rafting.
We walked into the rafting company at 11:40 am and scored the last 2 spots on the 12 pm tour, perfect timing!
After being kitted out in clammy wetsuits, boots and hard hats, we were whisked away to the riverbank to practice jumping into cold water with our inner-tube. The water really was chilly and it certainly got the heart racing.
Once the guides were convinced we were appropriately trained (i.e. that we weren’t a liability) they took us to the entrance to the caves, a narrow wet hole into the darkness beyond. What fun; squeezing through narrow crevasses, jumping off rocks, floating through glowworm lit caves.
All in all we were underground for about an hour and a half which to be honest was about the right amount of time. It was hard to keep warm despite the physical exertion (and this is the warmest time of year in the caves apparently!) The rafting company runs a very slick operation, aside from a very well run tour, the extra details made a difference to the overall experience; organized gear return, plenty of hot showers to get warmed up and hot soup and bagels before departing.