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You will see
- Glow worms
The Kawiti Caves are owned and operated by the Kawiti family and they will be pleased to take you on an underground exploration of this natural wonder.
Transport from the cruise ship to this attraction is not included in the ticket cost, you will need to make your own arrangements.
The Kawiti caves (formerly Waiomio Caves) were discovered in the early 17th century by Roku. Hineamaru, famous cheiftainess of the Ngati hine Tribe arrived at Waiomio with her aged father, Torongare and her brothers.
Exploring the valley, she discovered trodden Tawa berries which made her curious. No member of her party had come this way. Later she smelt smoke which seemed to come from a nearby hill. She went forward and found that the smoke was coming from a cave. 20 metres in from the entrance she came upon a woman sitting by a fire. Hineamaru learned that she was Roku, runaway wife of Haumoewarangi of the Tribe Ngatitu.
Today, the Kawiti Caves are owned and operated by the Kawiti Family, direct descendants of the chieftaness Hineamaru of the Ngati Hine Tribe.
Your 30 minute guided tour will follow a wooden boardwalk through a 200 metre limestone cave system. Once inside, you will see thousands of glow worms spread across the ceiling surrounded by breath taking stalactites and stalagmites.
As you enjoy the galaxies of glow worms above, your friendly guide will explain the life cycle of the New Zealand Glow worm (Arachnocampa Luminosa) and the intricate webs used to catch their prey. You'll even get close enough to see the actual body of the glow worm and its stunning blue/green tail light, before you make the return bushwalk through a natural corridor of karst rock formations and pristine rainforest.
- A guided tour through the caves.
Not Included
- There are no meals included in this tour.
- Transport from the cruise ship to this attraction is not included in the ticket cost, you will need to make your own arrangements.
Instructions
- You should allow 20 to 30 minutes to get to the caves from Paihia by car.
Restrictions
- The Caves tour is not suitable for users of wheelchairs or those unable to climb stairs.
- There is no pushchair or wheelchair access.
Experience Schedule Options | ||
|---|---|---|
| start time | end time | |
| 09.00 Start Time | 09:00 | 09:45 |
| 1000 Start Time | 10:00 | 10:45 |
| 1100 Start Time | 11:00 | 11:45 |
| 1200 Start Time | 12:00 | 12:45 |
| 13.00 Start Time | 13:00 | 13:45 |
| 14.00 Start Time | 14:00 | 14:45 |
| 1500 Start Time | 15:00 | 15:45 |
| 16.00 Start time | 16:00 | 16:45 |
Experience Prices (current) | |
|---|---|
| Adult price | NZ $60.00 |
| Child price (5 to 15 yrs) | NZ $30.00 |
NOTE: Prices may vary depending on your Date of Travel.
Our Booking procedures quote the applicable prices before you commit to a Booking.
Is it possible to see the caves if you use a wheelchair?
No, this is because there are steps to enter and depart the cave tour.
How much climbing is involved on the cave tour?
There are a number of steps to navigate on the tour, but if you are OK with using standard house stairs you should be fine and there are not any really long flights of steps on the tour.
Can we just turn up at any time?
Within the normal opening hours of 9am to 4pm daily, yes you can. The tours last about 30 minutes and on busy days they do operate every 15 minutes or so, but there could be a wait if you arrive just after some large coach groups.
How can we get to the caves from the Cruise Ship?
You would need to pre-book one of the private tour vehicles that you can find on our web site. You may be able to get a taxi or shuttle from the Paihia information centre, but these are very limited. The other option is a self drive rental car. But the best way is to join our small group shared tour BOI-11.
Can we take photos inside the caves?
No photography or video recording is allowed inside the caves
What clothing should we wear?
Sensible flat walking shoes and a light jacket are recommended.
