The Island of a Large White Cloud
New Zealand
The Glowworm Cave
After the exhausting Tongariro track, we had to get up very early the next morning. There was a plan to watch the “starry sky” of glowworms in Waitomo’s caves. I was extremely curious to see this place. The miracle of nature - one of the main attractions of New Zealand, is located in the Waikato region, on the North Island. The Waitomo complex consists of three caves system: Waitomo, Aranui and Ruakuri. To our greatest regret, the Waitomo cave where thousands of glow-worms light up its underground rivers had a limited number of people who were allowed to visit the cave on that day. Therefore, by fate, we went to see Rauakuri, as we were told, there were also plenty of glowworms to see.
My acquaintance with the cave began with a sudden immersion into the illuminated spiral tunnel, which went deep underground. In complete silence, which absorbed us, one could only hear the monotonous tapping of dripping water, somewhere deep below us. My hands began to sweat. After a long descent into the dark, we found ourselves near the entrance to the first grotto. It turned out that the tumbling drops, the sounds of which I heard as we plunged into the tunnel, were filling up something reminiscent of a well, at the very bottom of the cave. We were offered to sprinkle ourselves with water from that well, before entering the underworld. At that moment, I felt dizzy and ready to faint. While the whole group was enjoying the sights of cave wonders - the bizarre forms of crystal-like growths, stone rims, and stalactites that hung over our heads, I began to struggle with a sudden outburst of a panic attack. At one point, I started to slowly slip down, while having managed to inform my friends that I was losing consciousness. My savior came in the form of the dark chocolate bar, which Julia managed to hide in her pocket. Also, the right words of support from my friends helped me to come back to my senses. Even though I didn’t feel like myself at that moment, plus our guide strongly recommended me to turn back, I still decided to go all the way to the end. Now, I think it was a bit risky, as we went farther and deeper into the cave, and my condition could’ve worsened, but what the hell! I needed to experience it all!
Stunningly beautiful stalactites and stalagmites reached several meters in length, unfortunately, were left unappreciated by me. During that time, I felt like I was caught in a storm, while my guts were trying to jump from inside out. The streams of sweat flowed down my back, while the temperature in the cave was cold enough to put a warm jacket on.
Our route ran through numerous labyrinths of limestone growths and narrow, dark corridors that weighed heavily on me. I did not have enough air, and dizziness attacks made it impossible to enjoy this unique experience. At some point we were told: And now we will walk in a chain, only by touch, in complete darkness, holding on to one another, in order to get into the grotto with Glowworms. To say that I once again felt sick to my stomach is not to say anything! My hair started to move from fear, but I obediently clutched to the shoulders of the person in front of me so that the trace of my sweaty palms probably remained on his shirt for a long time. The flickering flashlight of our guide abruptly went off, and we all shuffled in the dark, afraid to let go of each other.
Suddenly, a starry sky opened up before us, strewn with myriads of night stars! It was them - the most beautiful glowing worms, to see which I had to crawl in complete darkness, through narrow, claustrophobic corridors with stalactites and all the other goodies that inhabit this cave. This site is awe-inspiring! The so-called "Glowworms" is a genus of five fungus gnat species called Arachnocampa. These unique insects give the Waitomo caves the illusion of the starry sky. They seem to illuminate the arches of the grotto with their bluish radiance. Scientists claim that with their glow, glowworms attract various insects to their trap nets. These nets can only be seen if you come to a very close proximity of these spider-worms.
Maori tribes always knew about the existence of amazing caves, but for the rest of the world, they opened relatively recently - at the end of the 19th century. Before, instead of those Caves, there was only a raging ocean. When the water receded, ideal conditions for the unique Arachnocampa Luminosa organisms formed in underground grottoes. "A view to die for!", I thought to myself but continued to wrestle with the panic attack.
Only when I got out of the cave, I learned that this place is sacred and is the burial point of the ancient Maori tribes. Therefore, especially sensitive people, when visiting the cave, feel some presence. This mysterious cave keeps a lot of secrets and legends, and I felt the powerful energy of this place. As the sign says in front of the entrance - “The Waitomo Glowworm Caves offer an experience that is “out of this world”… an experience you will never forget!” Hence, if you decide to go there, get ready to plunge into a spiritual journey, deep into the underworld!
White Island
White Island - the full name in Maori sounds as “Te Puia o Whakaari,” which means “Dramatic Volcano” - is the most active, oceanic volcano located in Bay of Plenty, 48 kilometers off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It was called white because when the famous captain James Cook discovered this island, it was tightly covered by the thick cloud of white haze. It is the most exciting and accessible volcano on earth. Most of it is submerged under water, and only a small piece sticks out on the surface, allowing people to have this unique opportunity to land directly on its crater.
The island can be reached in two ways: by water, or by air. We chose the first option. A special boat brought our entire small group to the volcano in an hour and a half. It was quite a pleasant ride in the sea, with some extreme, when the boat started to rock side to side. I especially felt it when I decided to use the toilet on the lower deck. It took me a long time to mark the “mission impossible” as successful, thanks to the handrails, which I was able to clench to with my two hands while pushing the floor with my feet to remain stable. But overall, the experience was enjoyable!
The boat ride began with detailed instruction from our guides and the issuance of a full uniform in the form of a bright yellow helmet and a gas mask. Since the entire island was covered with sulfur fumes, it was necessary to have gas masks on at all times. During the excursion in some places, lungs started to itch from the choking smell. We all periodically coughed up, and the guides fed us fruit candy. It helped to relieve temporary itching in the chest.
When I realized that I was walking on an active volcano that never sleeps, I felt goosebumps! Volcanologists constantly monitor the activity of the island and video cameras and special equipment are installed inside the crater. In most cases, volcanic activity on the island is limited to evaporation and boiling mud, but on a scale of volcanic eruptions from one to five, the island is at level two.
While we were exploring the volcano crater, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I landed on Mars. That’s exactly how I envision it: Every part of the surface is filled with bubbling pits of molten rock, roaring steam vents, and strong volcanic currents. The vividly poisonous hues of yellow and orange, which resulted from the abundance of sulfur on the island, make it look even more Martian. I could hear it breathe, hiss, and roar, while I was walking on its steaming core of yellow and white sulfur crystals. The harsh smell of hydrogen sulfide made me cough, and we were only allowed to walk along strictly designated paths. Otherwise, we could‘ve ended up being cooked right on the spot. Suddenly, an acid lake appeared in front of us emanating puffs of steam. We were told that it consists of sulfuric acid with a broad mixture of arsenic. Having learned this information, we tightened our gas masks pretty quickly!
Furthermore, amidst this unearthly landscape, we noticed the rusty remains of some structures. It turned out that before, New Zealanders tried to extract sulfur there. Strictly for that purpose, a whole specialized factory was built, but an accident happened that provoked massive mudslides, which destroyed everything in their path. Everyone who was on the island at that time died, except for the cat, who, sensing the danger, managed to hide at the top of the volcano.
We visited White Island on the New Year’s Eve, and It turned out to be a very symbolic trip. The upcoming year was the Year of the Yellow Dog! Therefore, we got prepared, among the yellow sulfur crystals, equipped according to the theme of the year - yellow helmets and yellow gas masks, ready to greet the year ahead fully equipped!
White Island is the most active volcano in New Zealand. It never sleeps! The surface of the volcano has the most toxic environment that you can imagine, but even these horrific facts could not stop our curiosity. I hope that it wouldn’t stop yours too!
