Best luge location & best caving company?
 

Hi Everyone, can anyone tell me which is the best luge ride in NZ--the one in Rotorua or Queenstown? From what I read, the one in QT is more scenic right?

Also, I want to do some exciting caving/black water rafting in Waitomo. Which of these do you recommend?
1)Hagas Honking Holes
2)Lost world (Epic)
3)Legendary blackwater rafting (Black Abyss)

The luge in Queenstown is very scenic!! They have two runs: a scenic run and an adventure run. Take care on the adventure run-- it's quite steep!!

The luge in Queenstown is fabulous! I wasn't brave enough for the adventure run, but my 13-year-old daughter sure was.

Those three Waitomo adventures are very different fom each other. Blackwater Rafting involves floating in an inner tube through an underground river. You have to maneuver yourself into the cave with your tube, and jump off a 2-3 m ledge into a pool, but it is generally a fairly gentle trip.

Hagas Honking Holes is a true spelunking trip, involving worming your way through small passages, and climbing/descending ladders or ropes. It is great fun, but you will get soaked and muddy, and it is not for anyone who fears heights or enclosed spaces.

The Lost World involves a long abseil into a deep sinkhole, and then you walk out through a lower-elevation cave opening. It is quite spectacular to slowly descend the rope to the bottom, but you better not have a problem with heights.

They all have their pros and cons. Haggas Honking Holes is a blast. Rafting is not as strenuous, but there is little I have ever seen that compares to drifing through Ruakuri Cave in total darkness, with glow worms illuminating the ceiling like a starry night sky. I have not personally done the Lost World, but have spoken with friends who have - they thought that long abseil was a highlight of their lives.

We did the milder trip with Black Water Rafting that Alf mentioned; it was great! The company and their guides are excellent. I'm sure their more strenuous trip is fun, too.

Lee Ann

Thanks Everyone for the replies! I really appreciate your feedbacks and your trip reports!