Long before I came to New Zealand, I’d read about the caves near Waitomo and how you can black water raft through them on inner tubing while marvelling at the thousands of gloworms that illuminate them from above.
Things didn’t quite work out that way…
My sister and I were signed up to do the Black Abyss tour with the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company.
Billed as the ‘ultimate adventure’ and including an abseil, some climbing and a flying fox, this trip seemed like the perfect mix of adrenaline and slightly more relaxed fun. I knew that once I was floating along in my tube watching twinkling lights overhead, I’d be ‘sweet as bro’ – as they say in New Zealand.
Just chilling out, looking at gloworms – the chicken option!
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Sometimes things don’t go as planned. We arrived following a week of very heavy rain, which had caused the caves to flood, and the only trip the company could run safely that day was Black Odyssey caving. It was good that I hadn’t read the description on their website of how this trip would involve various caving techniques at dizzying heights and ‘seriously stretch your limits’.
Sometimes companies make their trips out to be more thrilling than they really are. In this case, there had been no exaggeration. My limits were seriously stretched. Imagine your biggest fears – extreme heights, dangerous precipices, pitch darkness, claustrophobia and massive cave-dwelling bugs – and you begin to get the picture. This is not for the squeamish. But if you think you can handle it, you will have the experience of a lifetime!
THE FIT TEST
When most people hear you have to do a ‘fit test’ to determine if you’re suitable for the Black Odyssey, they assume it’s a test of fitness. It’s actually a test of whether or not you will ‘fit’ through the cave passages.
While still at the main centre, they get you to crawl through a small obstacle course. If you make it out and haven’t had a breakdown from the enclosed space, there’s just one more test to pass – a breathalyzer! It seems extreme, but no one wants to be clinging to a rock face without full control of their balance and their senses.
GETTING KITTED OUT
Our guides for the day were Janna and Anne – two fearless ladies with nose rings to prove it! In fact I think a nose ring might have been a condition of working for the company…
They took us outside and got us kitted out in attractive red jumpsuits, harnesses, helmets with torches and…gumboots. Yes, you heard me. After all those years of my parents telling me to wear sensible shoes with a good grip just to go walking on rough terrain, I was about to scramble along cliffs in a pair of wellies!
PRACTICE RUN
After a short drive to the cave entrance and some photos of you looking way more confident than you feel, they lead you down a spiral pathway deep into the cave. On the way to the tunnel, you have the chance to view some impressive cave formations as well as gloworms.
Gloworms are pretty interesting little creatures. The first to hatch eats all its siblings. It then lives for the majority of its life as a long, maggot-like larvae clinging to the ceiling of the cave and dangling threads of mucus and silk in which to ensnare flying insects. When it matures into a ‘fungus gnat’ – a relative of the mosquito – it doesn’t have any mouth parts so it simply mates to its heart’s content, lays eggs if it’s a female and then dies.
You then have a very welcome chance to practice on a low stretch of wall, clipping and unclipping each safety harness as you pass the rigs in the cave wall that hold the ropes in place. Then the real fun starts.
BLACK ODYSSEY
If tight squeezes are your nemesis, you’ll be pleased to hear that the narrow section only lasts a few minutes and is right at the beginning of your journey through the caves. The bad news is that no sooner have you left them, you’re hanging off the side of a rock face a long way above the gushing black water and desperately trying to maintain a grip with your rubber boots and shaking hands.
Without ruining the surprise, there are a number of obstacles and additional treats in store, including a couple of zip lines and some original ideas for how to cross wide abysses. These photos are just a taster:
This photo fails to portray the enormous drop below and the difficulty of getting a good foot placement when you can’t see your feet or the ledge!
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Tactically not looking down on the ladder bridge
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Yes, we had to jump across that massive abyss…
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Oh good! A rope bridge! Because the ladder seemed far too stable…
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Keep your wits about you and remember you will always be attached by a harness so the worst case scenario is you slip, bash the side of the cave a bit and then dangle until one of the caving team can pull you back up.
About half way through, you can also take a breather and enjoy some juice and flapjack. If you really are struggling, it’s possible to leave at this point too.
OUR VERDICT
Recent bungy jumps and base jumps haven’t made me any more confident when it comes to heights and, because this lasts roughly 3 hours, it’s not something you can build up to and then get out of the way in a few seconds of madness. In my opinion, this makes it more extreme and physically tiring. If you’re looking for adrenaline, the Black Odyssey should be top of your to-do list, and you’ll have an immense sense of accomplishment when you re-emerge into the real world.
Go on – I bet you’re intrigued to find out what those other surprise obstacles are!
GETTING TO WAITOMO
If you have a car, it’s a fairly easy drive to Waitomo from nearby Rotorua or Hamilton. Intercity Buses provide services to Waitomo from the following popular destinations (rough times in brackets): Rotorua (2.5 hours); Auckland (3.5 hours). Further transfers are available from these locations. Search for journeys below or click through to their website for a full list of their activities, tours and bus pass options.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at Juno Hall, which is just a stone’s throw away from the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company. It has parking spaces, a large communal kitchen and even a swimming pool for the summer months.
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I was a guest of the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company. They did not request that I write a favourable review and all of the opinions expressed here are my own.
You can follow my Kiwi adventures on Twitter via the hashtag #ScaredBritless or check out my Facebook updates here. For more information about travelling in New Zealand, visit 100% Pure New Zealand.
This looks like so much fun! I also like all the things they do to ensure everyone’s safety. And yes, I would like to know about the surprise obstacles.
Katherine Belarmino recently posted..Taking a Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
Yes, when you’re asked to do tests before you even leave the main office, you can be pretty sure they take their safety very seriously! Ha, you will have to get there and do it yourself to find out what else lurks in those caves! ;)
Oh wow, this really includes all of my fears. Weirdly I would rather do this than a bungee jump though. Love the fitting test. They should do that for planes too to ensure people can fit into their seats and don’t spill over to yours. ;-)
TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Zeche Zollverein – From coal mine to hip world heritage site
Hahaha. That’s such a good idea! I was definitely less nervous about this than the bungy but I’ve never been so scared for such an extended period of time as the caving. It was exhausting! A great workout!
Oh wow you’re so brave, especially after seeing the shots of the abyss. Not sure how easily it would be for me to just jump across!
Becky Padmore recently posted..10 of the best undiscovered Thai islands for travel snobs
It took me ages to jump across. I was just standing there saying ‘You mean I just jump over?’, ‘Where do I put my feet?’ and ‘Are you sure I’ll make it?’. They had so much patience!!
I’d probably not pass the fit test – what a shame, as I am defiantly (no, no typo of ‘definitely’ here…) no fan of tight spaces…
Cool stuff Ari…
Haha. I thought I’d feel relief when I left the tight space section, and then I saw the drop!
Sounds like a fun adventure. Love how strict they are about safety – ensures a safe trip will be had. Definitely something I would love to try!
Deb recently posted..Spokane Falls
Yes, it’s great that they’re so careful. We had three harnesses, and we had to watch each other unhook and reattach them, ensuring there were at least two attached at all times. It helped my nerves a little bit!!
Wow! What an awesome review. I can’t imagine caving. My claustrophobia and vertigo all wrapped into one? Bonus! Ha! But the challenge to do something like that and conquer your fear is inspiring.
Joe Saul-Sehy recently posted..Is It Time To Fire Your Advisor?
There wasn’t too much claustrophobia, but the heights were pretty relentless. I had hoped that the darkness would make it easier to forget about the drop, but sadly that didn’t happen!
Kick Ass! New Zealead just keeps looking better and better. Was it hot or cool in the caves?
It’s an awesome place! It was really cold outside the caves and pretty warm inside, especially with the adrenaline and all the activity!
Great overview! I really want to go to New Zealand now explore some caves. Must have been intense given that you had to take a fitness test.
Kae Lani | A Travel Broad recently posted..Vine for Travel Bloggers
Do it! Yes, it was intense! I was shaking constantly for 3 hours! I got a great sense of accomplishment afterwards though!
Hi Ariawen,
Wow, this looks like a great fun! Such a unique adventure. You guys rock!
The fitness test and breathalyzer test were interesting. I’d love to try this adventure when I make it to NZ!
Marisol@TravelingSolemates recently posted..Dominica: The Hike to the Boiling Lake
You should definitely do it. The caves are a must see, and the various trips with the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company are well known all over NZ :)
Great pictures! That sounds like quite the adventure. I’m not very claustrophobic and I still might have trouble with that fit test!
Alex @ Searching for Happy recently posted..How would you define your view on life?
Thanks! I obviously didn’t take any of them :)
Yes, it’s definitely an adventure. The fit test was actually a lot of fun as the other customers cheered me on and waited for me to emerge.
Aah, that looks terrifying yet like so much fun at the same time! The fit test is a good idea – you wouldn’t want to get stuck in a cave halfway through the course. ;)
Audrey – That Backpacker recently posted..A Brief Holiday in Phuket
You definitely wouldn’t want that! They’re wise, those staff at the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co :)
Loved the glow worm caves, though I saw them on a much more sedate boat trip (where randomly one of the other 8 people on the trip was from my home town). That looks truly scary – heights I’m ok with but confined spaces not so much±
Lucy recently posted..My top southwest USA scenic drives
Haha. I love it when random coincidences like that happen! Yeah, I was a bit too scared to appreciate the gloworms. The best chance we had to see them was on an underground zip line with all our head torches off! Quite an experience!
Kudos to you and your sister for going ahead, Arianwen. I’ve done a few caves but the bugs, not the heights or the claustrophobia would have done me in. Hate the creepie/crawlies!
Marcia recently posted..The Gumbay Drum
Thanks! We didn’t see many bugs to be honest. Just a massive collection of giant spidery crickets on the way out. I was so glad not to have seen them on the way in!
Wow – that’s a lot more intense then I would picture a cave tour being! But it also looks like an incredible experience. I like the ‘fit test’ idea, part of the reason I’ve never been caving is that I always picture myself getting stuck.
Jess recently posted..Twin Cities Ice Cream Favorites
Yes, I used to think that too!