Glow Worms!

Just let your soul glow!
Just let it shine!
Another day (off), another dollar (gone).
I went black water tubing through a glow worm cave in Waitoma.

Glow worms! Caving! = joy

I went to Cave World and most of the photos here are from them http://www.caveworld.co.nz/tubeit
So awesome! And truly a unique Kiwi experience.

Cute map of the caves

Once again, the trip started with a quick gear up in wetsuits.
Well, quick for everyone else. I couldn't get mine on. I went out to ask for a larger size (oh, shame. Stupid delicious everything!)

My sweet as welly's

Turns out, I was trying to put my suit on inside out. Nelson says, Ha haaa!
Anyhoo.
After a short hike, we were at the entrance to the cave.

Getting ready to head underground

Right away, we could see glow worms.

Me and the glow worm strings

 It doesnt matter how many glow worms I see...it's always stunning.

Some worms and their nets

One of the guides 

Once again, the guides were very nice. As we walked through the caves we saw amazing formations, glow worms, and old bones. The guides talked to us about the cave and why glow worms glow, spoiler alert - it's their poop.
At one point we sat down and turned off all our lights and the guide told us the story of how the cave was discovered.

Stalactites 

 Your bone collection isn't creepy.....

 Then the guide let off a loud noise maker, that made the kids in our group scream! Which was cute. And we all saw the glow worms get brighter. The punchline of the story being, that even the glow worms got the shit scared outta them.
Then it was into the water to float on our tubes in freezing water.
We tubed/walked for a bit before jumping backwards off a tiny cliff while sitting in our tubes.

(Nerdius Cavernous)

This part of the trip was a tight squeeze

Then we all linked up and turned off our lights for a long float through the canyon under thousands of glow worms. There was even a karaoke segment. Where some of the group sang a maori song and the haka. Pretty cool :)
But back to the float.

I have no idea what the sparkle business is about...Bad camera setting?

It was so beautiful.
Let me paint the picture. Lol. Humor me...

Glow worms and their silky web

It's so dark, your eyes never get adjusted. So you're in complete visual sensory deprivation. Except for the worms.
While you relax back on your tube, you can hear and feel the slowly moving water you're floating on. Your gaze is fixated up, on what looks like a galaxy filled with blue stars. The view constantly changes as you move downstream. Because the rocks and canyon walls (that you can't see - only feel) reveal or conceal the lights as you go by.
And if you're lucky enough to be at the end of the linked up tube/train (like I was), when the group goes around a corner in the stream, the momentum whips you around and you zip across the water with glow worms zooming by, close enough to touch.
And......I'm done....
The trip ended with a fun ride down a water slide and a short walk outta the cave.

Goofball on the top of the canyon water slide

I have to say of all the things I've done in NZ, this was one of the best.

Me and the spider web, on the stairs outta the cave

I LOVE the glow worms. I could spend hours watching them. I guess I'm easily entertained, but they're just so purty!

The jungle at the end of the cave

And the fact, that I really couldn't do this back at home made it one of my top experiences!