Ruakuri Cave

Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo - New Zealand's Biggest Gap Year – Backpacker Guide New Zealand

Day 26: Today we are doing a tour of the Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo to check out its astonishing limestone features! Join us on New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year!

Yesterday - Day 25 -

Tomorrow – Day 27 –

About this video:

Today, New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year, where we are tackling 365 Activities in 365 Days, is taking us into the mystical Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo!

After spending some time at the awesome Juno Hall Backpackers, we head down the road to the pick-up location for the Ruakuri Cave Tour. From there, we are transported to the entrance of the Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo where our tour guide tells us of Maori legends surrounding the caves.

Delving into the Ruakuri Cave on this walking tour of the Waitomo Caves, we follow a walkway over some of the most impressive and beautiful limestone features we have ever seen. Hallways are made up of creamy limestone formations and rooms are sharp with stalactites and stalagmites. We even get a close-up view of the famous Waitomo Glowworms, as well as seeing the Waitomo Glowworms glisten in the darkness. Amazing!

We’re going to be spending a lot of time doing as many activities as possible in Waitomo over the next week so be sure to stick around if you want to compare the activities in Waitomo.

#Waitomo #BackpackerGuideNZ #NZMustDo #TravelNZ #TravelNewZealand #Travel #HamiltonWaikato #NewZealand

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New Zealand Biggest Gap Year

365 Days: 365 Activities

This year, Robin and Laura from the online New Zealand travel guide BackpackerGuide.NZ are doing 365 activities in 365 days! We call it New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year! That way, we can bring you the best travel tips, hidden gems and activities in New Zealand.

Read more about the Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo on New Zealand’s biggest guide for backpackers:

Discover Waitomo Glowworm Caves | New Zealand

Discover the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand's natural highlight.

World renowned and a magnet for both local and overseas visitors, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves occupy a high placing in the New Zealand vacation wish-list.

The glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as our expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveller. Enjoy the world famous boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 120 years of cultural and natural history.

Ruakuri Cave is Waitomo's longest underground guided walking tour.

​​According to Maori legend, Ruakuri Cave (rua meaning den, and kuri meaning dog) was first discovered 400-500 years ago by a young Maori hunting for birds. He was attacked by wild dogs just outside the original cave entrance. Re-opened in 2005, this cave is now an amazing example of engineering and natural cave structure.

Ruakuri Cave offers a captivating blend of Waitomo's most compelling subterranean experiences. Journey down through the spectacular spiral entrance, and marvel at the softly folding shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries. Hear the distant thunder of the subterranean waterfalls and get up close to the glowworms.

With clever and innovative design, Ruakuri Cave has full wheelchair and pushchair access.

​​Aranui Cave is set in the Ruakuri Scenic Reserve, 5 minutes drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. It is named after Ruruku Aranui, the local Maori man who first discovered this previously hidden gem back in 1910.

Aranui Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo's three main caves. As a dry cave without a river running through it, it houses very little life past its entrance.
However, just inside the entrance is a colony of native New Zealand cave wetas and further into the cave is the most beautiful collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and decorative formations.