Day 12 (Morning) - Did someone say "glow worms"?

Friday Jan 12 (Morning), by Jono
The day was off to an early start, we'd found that we could only get on the 08:30 cave tubing together as the later tours were already booked up (this was called the Black Labyrinth,there is a longer 5 hour tour as well, which we'd definitely like to do next time), I guess this is a busy time of the year. Breakfast at our B&B was only okay-ish and I was trying not be grumpy; neither of us had slept well, due to the AC not switching off at 20degrees and taking us to what felt like arctic temperatures overnight.
The Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. has a big presence here; most of the cave tours we went on were with these guys. Our guides Kiwi and Emma (from Hawai and local respectively) were very good, and got us all in the mood for a bit of an adventure.

before we went

The trip started us with getting togged up in the LBWR Co. branded heavy padded wet suits, helmets and boots, then a short bus ride to the start of two of our expeditions yesterday (Aranui caves and the free Ruakuri walk in the dark).
Our guides then took us to a jetty to practice our water fall jumping off technique.

Kiwi played us along that we were going to jump from the high platform.

It was enough of a shock going in off the low one though, the water was not warm!

After we got out of the river (struggling a bit due to the current in the river), we practiced laddering up, a bit like we'd raft up in Kayaks.

There were a few jokes about checking whether the feet we were holding were upside down, or the wellies being empty both signs of a possible death by drowning.
Then we were back on the bus to climb a bit higher to the entrance to the cave.

into the cave

group photo inside, there were cave wetas just above our heads

Just inside the entrance to the cave system, there was a handy cave that we could all get comfortable in for a group photo and a check that we all knew how to turn lights on and off and that our eyes could adjust to the dark. (I asked Emma later how she took this picture since she was using a similar camera to mine; it's a live compose, we all sat very still and she flashed her helmet light around to illuminate us). There were also some weta in the cave with us.
The guides asked for a volunteer,  I went first, left then right and stop in a knee deep pool, when the guides came around there was an eel sitting in the pool next to me, big (about half a meter), and just looking up, Emma tickled the water near it, and assured me that it would scarper as soon as we got in the water.

We floated under a very low roof, scrapping our helmets and getting cold water down the neck of our wetsuits.
Then down a passage way, where we were treated to chocolate coated marshmallow fish (Emma pranking us again telling us they were insects we had to bite the heads off). Turning our lights off here we discovered we had glow worms.

the strings are the glowworms sticky fishing lines put out to lure food

As Emma delighted in pointing out, they weren't glow worms, they were maggots; and they fished for flies with their spit and vomit, and we were looking up at their glowing poop.
We then got our first waterfall jump and  floated down stream underground to the next one.

waterfall

The next one was a serious height! About half a meter. The hole next to the water fall was very deep, Emma jumped in to demonstrate and disappeared under the water, (I thought we were down by one guide for a bit, but she came back up eventually).

Another break in the stream for a photo, before the highlight of the tour (yes there was more). A float through the Cathedral of the cave system with the glow worms/maggots above and all around us.  When the glowworms feel the vibrations in the air caused by noise they think it is food flying nearby so they glow brighter to try and catch their prey, we were encouraged to sing loudly so they would glow so I belted out "Every rose has its thorn"; highlight of my singing career and everyone joined in the chorus.

Last few photos as we drifted to the cave exit.

Then back on the bus, back up to the changing rooms. Hot showers followed by hot soup and a toasted bagel. Fortunately it was dark in the cave so, apart from Karen, I don't think anyone knew it was me singing.