Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Country: New Zealand by Lisette

12-02-2005

Short blog entry this time! I visited Hamilton, and really give you this advice from the bottom of my heart: if you’re pressed for time skip this place! There’s just nothing going on..

Hamilton is a small university city with Theme Gardens, including English Rose Garden, Italian Renaissance Garden, Japanese Study Garden and a Chinese Garden for Reflection. Lovely.

Also visited the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. These limestone caves host a small river that in turn is the perfect spot for a local version of glowing worms. The female fly lays eggs and its larvae need 6 to 9 months to cocoon. They are certainly gender-unfriendly as the male fly dies fast after he’s born because he’s born without a mouth!

The larvae feed themselves with insects that get lost in the dark caves. The trick they use to light up so strongly that insects believe it is the way out! In fact, they fly straight into the cocoon’s web.