Ruakokoputuna Glowworm Cave

Uncommercialized glowworm wonderland at its best! This cave adventure satisfies the soul of adventurers who seek out NZ’s unheralded charms. I won’t rah-rah this place too much because it’s far off the beaten track and should stay that way. Go for adventure!

Here’s the basics: the cave is located on the McAvoy’s “Blue Creek” property. You must phone them at 06-306-9797 to get permission to visit the cave (the cave is in an outlying paddock through two gates—chances are you won‘t see or interact with the McAvoys at all). At the cave, a tributary of Blue Creek flows through a cave tunnel…there are no signs, no map, no nothing. You begin in the knee-deep stream, enter the tunnel, and later emerge at the far end, “Where are we??” You definitely need water shoes and headlamps/torches!

The cave is only a few hundred meters long and it’ll take 20 minutes minimum, but it‘s easy to spend an hour in there. The real ooohs and ahhhs begin when you find a dry spot, turn off your torches, and watch the glowworm galaxy expand overhead. Flash photos don’t work…learn how to take a 15-second exposure with your camera before you enter the cave.