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Waitomo 3.-4.1. 2020

Waitomo is the most known for the caves with glowworms, but, as usually, we tried to avoid crowded-rip-off-heavy-tourism-industry attractions.

Why not make people pay for having fun also on inflated rubber in the caves.

Going on Ruakuri Walk instead.

A tree with testicles.

Ruakuri Cave where the tourists from the second photo exit the cave.

Parataniwha or New Zealand begonia (Elatostema rugosum) grows in shady places of steep river valleys.

Several small caves along the walk.

The stream incised quite a deep gorge.

Entrance to a bigger cave.

Viewing platform inside the Ruakuri Natural Bridge.

The water disappears in the darkness.

Entrance to the tunnel cave from the outside.

More of interesting cavities in well layered limestone.

Some vague karst features along the Waitomo Walkway.

Another natural bridge 30 km to the west along the road to Marokopa.

Trail to the Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

Artificial bridge first.

And next, a natural 17 m high limestone arch, which spans over the Mangapohue Stream.

With speleothems.

Small bridge under a big one.

From the viewing platform.

Plenty of karrens around the natural bridge.

Remnants of solution pan.

Fossilised oysters that are 25 million year old.

Returning on a path beside the natural bridge that is on the left side hidden by trees.

Another walkway few kilometers further along the road.

That leads to Marokopa Falls.

Hills of Waitomo.

Visiting Te Puia Beach in the late evening.

It is known for hot springs coming from sand during the low tide. People come with shovels and dig their own hot pools.

The swell was too high, destroying all the pools dug in the sand.

Giving it another go next morning.

A plant with interesting seeds on the beach.

We were a bit more successful this time though the waves were still destroying and cooling the pool.

Vivid landscape further back inlands. And so are we heading to our last destination in New Zealand.