I'm going to Auckland to start a cruise and will have a day to go to the caves. The ship offers a tour but it is almost $200US per person! Can a local recommend another way to see the caves and all? There will be 4 of us.

I'm not a local, but I have spent several months on the North Island, including a couple of weeks in the Waitomo region. If I were you, I would hire a car and drive on out there myself. You can hire a car for less than NZ $75/day, including insurance with a $750 deductible (they call it 'excess'). We have found good rates from U-Save (http://www.rental-car.co.nz/vehicles.html).<BR><BR> There are guided tours of the two big caves, which cost about NZ $40/person (http://www.new-zealand.com/WaitomoCaves/index.html). We really liked the Glow Worm Cave, which involves a gentle descent to the underground Waitomo River, followed by a boat trip through the cave, illuminated only by the glow worms stuck to the ceiling. It looks like a starry night! Another good nearby cave is Aranui Cave, which is much drier than Glow Worm, but is studded with spectacular soda straws, popcorn, and other beautiful formations. A combination tour of both caves costs about NZ $40/person (http://www.new-zealand.com/WaitomoCaves/index.html)<BR><BR>If you are at all adventurous, there are several 'adventure tours' that you could take. I would recommend the Blackwater Rafting trip (http://www.blackwaterrafting.co.nz/), which involves donning a wetsuit, rubber boots, and a miners helmet/headlamp; then floating through Ruakuri Cave in an inner tube. We considered this to be one of the highlights of our time in NZ! Cost is about NZ $70/person.<BR><BR>If you are REALLY adventurous, there are much hairier trips which involve spelunking (http://www.waitomo.co.nz/haggas.html) and rapelling (http://www.waitomo.co.nz/lostworld.html).<BR><BR>We have friends that took a bus tour of Waitomo and Rotorua (http://www.scenicpacific.co.nz/trip.cfm/trip-10000017), and enjoyed it immensely; the cost was NZ $235, which is a little less than US $200!

Hi Sandy<BR>I feel that $US200/person is far too expensive - that's $NZ 1600 for the four of you - I'd offer to pick you up for that sort of money!<BR> It is approx. 180 kms and the drive will take you 2.5 hours max. A rental car from one of the second tier operators would be the best bet, or if you don't want to drive, get one of the Auckland van operators to take you. You should be able to do the whole trip and caves entrance fees for the whole group for under $US300<BR>Kerry

Thanks for the suggestions! I was wrong, the cruise tour is $118 US, but I found South Pacific Travellers World will do what sounds like the same tour for $NZ165. If anyone has taken this tour, please let me know.

Try this company. we considered them when we went, but rented a car instead since we were heading down to Rotorua.<BR><BR><BR>http://www.newmanscoach.co.nz/sightseeing-wcc.html

I suggest skipping the caves all together. We were really excited to do them and they disappointed. The water is cold it's hard to enjoy the glowworms. The rafting part is very short an it's more like splunking. Abseiling was fun but short.

Weenie!

The Glowworms were amazing! Definitely not cold last week and my nearly 70 year old mother who has been everywhere and seen nearly everything enjoyed it so much!

Before you head to the caves, check that they will accessible. Friends have just returned from there and couldn't get into the caves due to flooding.<BR>If you want a cheap but good day in Auckland, get the ferry to Devonport (about 10 minutes) and walk to the top of the hill for great views across Auckland and the surrounding areas. Lots of interesting little shops and eating places there, too.

I would second those who recommended the black water rafting. My husband and I were in our early sixties when we did it. I was scared stiff at first, didnt know if I would be claustrophobic, but then you get into the whole deal, and as someone else said, it was the highlight of our N.Z. trip. Take the one that brings you out at the road, and you dont have to climb up 240 feet of stairs. Wonderful experience.

If waitomo caves is the highlight of NZ for you, then you missed a ton! Also ALF, a weenie doesn't sky dive from 12,000ft., bungy jump, river raft down a 23ft. waterfall, luge, cave, and 4 wheel in the hills and rainforest. Waitomo caves was just blah.

I don't care what else you've done to elevate your adrenaline levels. If you let a little cool water ruin the experience of floating through a glow worm-lit cave, then in my book you are a Class A Weenie. Maybe if you could have luged through the cave it would have been a better experience for you.