Sights in The King Country
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Glow-worm Cave
The 45-minute guided tour of the Glow-worm Cave, which is behind the visitor centre, leads past impressive stalactites and stalagmites into a large cavern known as the Cathedral. The acoustics are so good that Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the Vienna Boys Choir have given concerts here. The highlight comes at the tour’s end when you board a boat and swing off onto the river. As your eyes grow accustomed to the dark you’ll see a Milky Way of little lights surrounding you – these are the glowworms. You can see them in lots of other places in NZ, but the ones in this cave are something special. Conditions for their growth are just about perfect so there are a remarkable number of …
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Ruakuri Cave
Culturally significant Ruakuri Cave has an impressive 15m-high spiral staircase, removing the need to trample through the Maori burial site at the cave entrance (as tourists did for 84 years). Tours lead through 1.6km of the 7.5km system, taking in vast caverns with glowworms, subterranean streams and waterfalls, and intricate limestone structures. For as long as this cave has been open to the public, people have described it as spiritual – some claim it’s haunted. It’s customary to wash your hands when leaving to remove the tapu. Tours depart from the Legendary Black Water Rafting Company.
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Otorohanga Kiwi House Native Bird Park
The Otorohanga Kiwi House Native Bird Park has a nocturnal enclosure where you can see active kiwi energetically digging with their long beaks, searching for food. This is the only place in NZ where you can see a Great Spotted Kiwi, the biggest of the three kiwi species. Other native birds, such as kaka, kea, falcon, morepork and weka, are also on show.
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Museum of Caves
This museum has excellent exhibits explaining how caves are formed, the flora and fauna that thrive in them and the history of Waitomo's caves and cave exploration. Displays include a cave model, fossils of extinct birds and animals that have been discovered in caves, and a cave crawl. Free entry is included with various activities.
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Aranui Cave
Three kilometres west from the Glow-worm Cave is Aranui Cave. This cave is dry (hence no glowworms) but compensates with an incredible array of limestone formations. Thousands of tiny ‘straw’ stalactites hang from the ceiling. It’s an hour’s walk to the caves, otherwise the visitors centre can arrange transport.
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Altura Gardens & Wildlife Park
At this privately run five-acre park you can chat with a cockatoo, outstare a morepork or pat a blue-tongue lizard. There are 85 species of birds and animals here, but it’s not a zoo – expect llamas and sheep rather than lions and giraffes. It also runs leisurely horse treks.
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Tainui Historical Society Museum
The town’s Tainui Historical Society Museum has an interesting collection of old photographs and artefacts (pianolas, whale bones, dusty photos of the Queen) from the time when this once-isolated outpost was a coal and lumber shipping port for settlements along the river.
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Shearing Shed
At the Shearing Shed, big, fluffy, surprisingly sociable Angora rabbits are sheared for an audience (12.45pm daily). It’s SPCA-approved and the rabbits really don’t seem to mind. The store sells Angora products.
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Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre
Adjoining the i-SITE, this Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre has excellent exhibits explaining how caves are formed, the flora and fauna that thrive in them and the history of Waitomo’s caves and cave exploration.
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Brook Park
On the northwestern boundary of Te Kuiti, hill-topped Brook Park has a 40-minute walk leading up the slope to the site of historic Matakiora Pa, constructed in the 17th century.
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Otorohanga Museum
The small Otorohanga Museum covers local history and has a collection of historic buildings, including a church and a lock-up.
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Kawhia Museum & Gallery
Kawhia Museum & Gallery is a modest but cute affair near the wharf, and serves as the information centre.
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Te Tokanganui-a-noho Marae
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