Magical fireflies cave

Located on the outskirts of Waitomo town in North Island, New Zealand, the Waitomo Glowworm cave system is an attractive tourist attraction.

>>>Thousands of fireflies light up the forest

Unlike other caves, Waitomo Glowworm attracts visitors thanks to the large number of fireflies living here. The fireflies have the scientific name c Arachnocampa luminosa when luminescent will produce special green and blue light, only in New Zealand.

Waitomo Glowworm Cave

Waitomo Glowworm Cave was first discovered by Chief Maori Tane Tinorau with an English investigator Fred Mace in 1887. Before that, the local Maori knew about the existence of a cave. However, underground caves have never been extensively explored until Fred and Tane conduct an investigation. When entering the cave, both Fred and Tane were surprised to see the sparkling light coming from the ceiling.

Going deep into the cave, they were even more surprised to see beautiful limestone floors. Later, they returned several times to continue the discovery, so that Chief Tane discovered the entrance above the cave. That is also the current entrance that visitors are using. In 1889, Tane Tinorau opened the cave and led visitors to visit for a small fee. By 1906, Waitomo Glowworm Cave was under the management of the government.

However, Chief Tane still receives a percentage of cave revenue and participates in cave management and development activities.