Down to Earth - Waitomo Eco Tours — Local services in North Island

Are you looking for heaven? No, this isn't it, but it's pretty close to what heaven must be like.

I was with a group of friends on a short trip to New Zealand and about 2.5 hours drive, south of Auckland, you will find Waitomo and it is in this idyllic surrounding that you will find Down To Earth Tours.

Nothing that you see online will match up to what this place is like in real life. The drive down is magical to begin with and then when you get to the place, it's even better.

Our guide was Ash, and he knew his stuff! We couldn't have asked for a better guide, or a better experience.

After Ash kits you out in some warm clothes and a pair of gum boots, you are all set to go!

The walk down to the entrance of the caves made you feel like you were on your own "Hobbit" adventure. (Excuse the "Lord of the Rings" comparisons, I'm a huge fan!) The sound of the stream get clearer as you make your way to the bottom, crystal clear water greets you and if you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the elusive eels that call the stream, home. (Don't sorry, they are harmless, it is New Zealand after all!)

Some passages through the caves are tight and require you to squeeze through, while some others require you to climb over. All in all it is an experience to be had.

The stalactites and stalagmites are a sight to behold and something to marvel at, considering that they take eons to grow. Getting water in your boots is inevitable, so dont be afraid to wade through the stream.

And then you see them, well you see them once you turn off the light on your helmet...the Glow Worms!!! They are fascinating as they are beautiful.

At one point, Ash asked us all to sit on a rock and then told us to all turn off our lights together. We were not ready for the sight that presented itself to us. The entire cave ceiling turned in to a night sky! There were Glow Worms all of over the place and it was magical.

We almost didn't want to leave!

Ash was a fantastic guide and he took pics of us all throughout the tour. You are allowed to take your phone with you too.

So if you are ever down that way, check them out and be ready for a sight and experience that you will...

What an absolutely amazing experience. This may have been the highlight of our two week tour through NZ's North island. They provide all the gear you'll need, helmet, thermals, shorts, socks, a small jacket, big rubber boots, and a headlamp. After a short introduction, we met our guide, Ash, our party of 3 was off tramping over idyllic countryside towards the caves.

The descent was a little muddy and wet, but with the clothes provided, you really only have to worry about staying on your feet (they informed us they are currently building a wooden pathway for this descent, in order to preserve the path better, very cool). The entire organization is conservation oriented, from only taking small groups, to keeping the track through the caves as natural as possible (you won't find any paved way for you underground here!). It makes for an experience where you can enjoy the natural beauty of the caves without feeling like you are contributing to their destruction.

The two hours or so we spent inside the caves seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. We saw so many wonderful and natural rock formations, cave fish, a beautiful frog, and of course, many glow worms. In the total darkness of the cave, with our headlamps off, it looks like the starry night sky above you. Pictures really can't do it justice, though you will probably get some great ones, nonetheless! Depending on group size and fitness level, you may be able to do some light scrambling maneuvers inside the caves and see some little detours. Another shout-out to Ash here, for making the tour feel special by doing that for us.

I have read about and seen pictures of some of the other tours in the Waitomo area, and I can't imagine doing those instead. Glowing Adventures is located a bit out of the way from the others, but to me it was totally worth the beautiful drive out there to see. I cannot recommend this...

I went on a morning Glowing Adventures tour with my dad a few weeks ago and it was amazing! A guide takes a small group into the caves and adventures through them for a few hours. I love that it is a small, family run business! They do an amazing job and really care about the caves and glow worms. I strongly recommend doing a tour through Glowing Adventures!

First we got dressed in the clothes they provided, which was really nifty since you may get a little dirty and wet. There is a small hike down to where the caves are. It was a nice walk since you're in amongst the flora. Then we headed into the caves. We talked a little about the geology and basically wandered through the caves for the next few hours. The guide shared information about the caves, Maori culture/stories, and glow worms. We had moments where we would turn off our headlamps and just look up at the glow worms; I think that was my favorite part. After we got back to the office we changed our clothes and enjoyed coffee/tea/water and cookies!

I did this tour in the morning and then did a tour by another company in the afternoon. I would say that the experiences were very different and I enjoyed them for different reasons. If I had to choose between them, I would pick Glowing Adventures! I loved the small group feel and personalized touches. They really care about each person's experience and about the caves/land. I feel like I learned a lot from the tour. I also really liked that the pictures they took were included and they were exceptional pictures as well! They got one with me and my dad showing the glow worms in...