Tour Description & Details

Head south of Auckland into the Waikato region and close to the settlement of Putaruru, you will find the unparalleled beauty of Blue Spring.

This natural spring takes up to 100 years to filter through the Mamaku Plateau producing crystal clear water that is so pure it produces gorgeous hues of blue and aquamarine against its white sandy bottom and gently swaying underwater vegetation. The stream is a constant 11 degrees Celsius and photographs cannot adequately describe its natural beauty.

Moving north west from Blue Spring through the picturesque town of Hamilton, we take a scenic back road to the star attraction of this tour, Nikau Cave! Here we can have a sit down meal* at the Café before climbing into one of the most beautiful glow-worm caves in the whole country! This is an experience that you will not forget for a long time and is in our opinion the most authentic tourist caving experience you can have in New Zealand!

Your guide will lead you through the cave following a shallow underground spring stream along which you’ll see a bewildering range of stalactites and stalagmites, including giant pillars, fine straws and flowing shawls. You will also see many millions of glow-worms and be able to study them and their sticky threads to within a few centimetres.

One section of the cave must be crawled through on hands and knees which is a bit challenging for some, but the rewards on the other side of this section of the cave are truly worth it, and we encourage everyone to take the plunge!

Don’t forget to wear water shoes and bring a fresh set of clothes to change into after the caving experience – you will get a bit wet!