Waipu Caves Farm Park — Hotel in North Island

I grew up in the area and have always visited the area. This was our first time with our 8.5month old baby and 3 year old. It was my mother’s second time. Love the large parking lot, and goat feeding! You can buy food from the office! The office also has an excavated moa bone and big shells and animal bones on display that were found on site, as well as limestone rock columns on the picnic tables which you can touch and feel.

They have ice creams, homemade baking, drinks, chips, etc.

Clean Flushing toilets and lots of visitor brochures and maps. There is a campground there too.

The tour starts with a little bush walk for around 5-10min, watch out for the danger sink hole signs (don’t venture off the path).

Then you arrive at the cave entrance which is stunning! They have great rechargeable lanyard torches for each guest to use.

We had our baby in a front carry pack and held our toddlers hand. It was fine, there are stairs with rails and concrete paths the entire way. It wasn’t slippery either. Just watch your head from the stalactites. They are amazing!! Lots of glow worms as well.

Take photos on your way into the caves as you walk partly back looking at the glowworms.

It wasn’t too cold, was nice as it was roasting hot outside. I just wore a sweatshirt, gym shorts and sneakers. Lots of people in crocs too.

The tour guide gives some great talks on the tour with photo sheets and lots of information.

Book ahead online as small group tours, maybe around 10 people.

You can walk back up the hill which is beautiful, we saw a wood pigeon in the tree!

Highly recommend. The price is a little bit expensive $45 adult, $30 child 5-15, free under 5, but they have put in so much work excavating the cave system and setting the entire place up and it’s a wonderful experience that doesn’t take the whole day. I think there are walks there too.

We did the 5.15 tour which was perfect in summer as the evening sun was amazing when we came out.

The gates close at 7pm.

There is cellphone reception etc too.

They are opening adventure tours up later this year! It’s a 3km cave system, of which we only covered...

We were so thankful that our AirBNB hosts told us about this tour. We were unaware they were there and thought the public caves were our only option. This business has been open less than a year and are doing some really great things! Phil was our tour guide. We were in a group of 6 people which made it a really intimate and personal experience. Phil got to know all of us a bit while waiting for the tour to start. Once we got to the caves, he gave us each an individual torch on a lanyard to use during the tour. He led us into a very well groomed concrete path with hand railings, that in no way impacted the cave walls or surroundings. He thoroughly explained about the features of the cave, the recent typhoon that flooded it, the fossils embedded, as well as the glow worms. What was amazing was that they have actual pieces of fossils, stalagmites, etc available for you to feel and examine, that had previously fallen away.

On the way back out of the cave, we got to experience the true brilliance of the glow worms. It was absolutely incredible! It truly looks like the Milky Way, there are so many of them. This is a new, small family venture and the time and effort they have put into preserving and sharing this amazing piece of nature is phenomenal. The admission price is worth every cent very easily. I’m telling everyone about our amazing...

Glow Worms: One of the most unique and fascinating features of the Waipu Caves is the abundance of glow worms that light up the caverns. Visitors can witness these bioluminescent creatures up close and enjoy a surreal experience of being surrounded by thousands of tiny blue lights. Stalactites and Stalagmites: The caves offer an impressive display of natural rock formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, which have formed over thousands of years through the slow dripping of water and calcite deposits. Bush Walks: The Waipu Caves are surrounded by lush native bush, offering visitors the opportunity to take a scenic bush walk and experience the natural beauty of the area. Ian Fox's guided tours: Ian Fox is a well-known guide who has been leading tours of the Waipu Caves for over 40 years. His tours provide visitors with a unique and informative perspective on the caves, and he is known for his passion and knowledge of the area. Visitors who take his tour are sure to learn something new and gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty...