New Zealand is home to 87 per cent of the world’s glowworms. This factoid is doubly fascinating because the country is strangely devoid of terrestrial wildlife. The most dangerous creature here is possibly the possum. In such a setting, exploring caves illuminated by thousands of glowworms is a surreal experience.
Northland, New Zealand’s northernmost region, is home to spectacular landscapes and stories steeped in Maori heritage. The Waiomio caves, also known as the Kawiti caves, are perhaps million years old. This limestone cave system stands as a series of narrow tunnels, cavernous chambers, and gnarled karst formations deep within the earth.
It also holds a significant place in Maori history. In the 17th century, female Maori chieftain Hineamaru found the caves as she was exploring the area with her aged father. Female leaders were rare in that era, and Hineamaru of the Ngatihine tribe holds a special place in Maori history. Today, tours are operated by the Kawiti family—the 13th generation Maoris who first discovered these caves and the direct descendants of Hineamaru.
We stopped by the Kawiti caves on a driving tour of the Bay of Islands. It’s a clear day with blinding sunshine, but our tour guide hands us lanterns as we approach the entry to the cave. Dark passages lead to looming hallways, where limestone stalactites and stalagmites trick our eyes into seeing bizarre formations in the dim light. These have been formed over centuries as water dripped through the karst.
When our Maori guide asks us to turn our lamps off, a magical sight greets in the inky blackness: thousands of pinpricks of light, like a black velvet carpet dusted with diamonds. It feels like we’re looking up at a clear night sky in the mountains. But we are deep within the earth, and the sky is blocked from view by metres of thick rock. “Glowworms,” explains our guide as thousands of them hang off the ceiling of the cave, emitting tiny dots of pale green-blue light from their behind. It’s easy to see why this cavernous hall illuminated with a galaxy of glowworms is named the Milky Way.
An estimated 10,000 or more glowworms live in these caves. When we turn on our lamps, we can’t see their light, but spot the creatures clearly along the rock face. Tiny, matchstick-sized, squiggly works cling to the rock. Glowworms spin thin lines with their saliva to trap prey like insects and flies. Attracted to the light, the insects fly into these sticky lines and are paralysed by a toxic substance. During their feeding time, glowworms turn off their light to conserve energy. With a lifespan of a year, an entire ecosystem of these insects thrives down in the deep, dark depths of the earth.