the Glow Worms and Black Water Rafting in Waitomo

This experience, of Black Water Rafting through the Ruakuri Cave is one of those things, that, had I had to pay for it, and/or had I known what I was actually getting into... I probably would not have done it. Before I came to New Zealand I was really excited about seeing the Glow Worms. I wanted to see glow worms, hike the Franz Joseph Glacier and snowboard.. and see my friends. Those were my only wishes/requirements for this trip.
I thought I was just going to walk through a cave with glow worms and maybe take this little touristy boat thing, which I found out later is like the standard thing people do, but not what I had signed up for. Casey hooked up this rafting trip for free so I felt like I haaaad to do it. And I knew it would be cool. But what I didn't know was that the water was only like 50 degrees and we'd be in it for a few hours. I used to have to be at swim practice at 6am every day in the winter and the pool was cold at first. I always hated that first initial jump into the water. ugh. Had I known that the same kind of thing would be involved in this rafting experience I probably would have passed, to be honest. But in the end, I'm glad I did it. It was really cool and who really cares about being cold for a couple hours. It's just temporary discomfort. No big deal.
We had a big group of people on the rafting trip.

We had to wear thermal sweatshirt things, wet suits, a wet suit jacket thing, shorts, wet suit shoe/sock thingys and rubber boots and helmets.

The first thing we did was jump backwards off a 9 meter pier thing into freezing cold water. And I got to go first. Awesome! The water totally got all in your face your hair was wet and it was damn cold.

Then we hiked up to the entrance of the cave. (In all that gear, lol. I'm sure it looked amazing and I'm really glad there wasn't anyone else around to see us.)
We took this picture right inside the entrance to the cave.

Then we walked through water about knee high until we got to the part where you got in your intertube and floated. In some parts you had to like lay down on your back and the ceiling/rock part of the cave was like maybe a foot over your face. It was a little sketchy but that part didn't last long. And it was freezing! Have I mentioned that part yet? I could barely move my fingers because they were freezing. I guess it's how surfers in the bay area must feel. That's what I kept telling myself. It's just like surfing. People do that all the time. No big deal. But yeah, we were all freezing.

We had two guides, Aaron and Lucas and they were both adorable.

Lucas, in that physical, beautiful Maori man-type of way. And Aaron in that funny, young, lots in common, get you know you better later at the bar kind of way. I felt bad, when after hanging out and chatting with him all night, I dashed off to my room without even saying goodbye. Sometimes it's just easier that way. And I just learned a word for that signature move of mine, bailing on the party when nobody is looking, right before it gets too hyphy, is to, "Phantom". Hey, it happens, lol.
Anyway, the point of all this is/was the Glow Worms. For a while in the cave we all turned out our lights and floated down the "Black Labyrinth" checking out these green glow worms.

It was awesome! But turns out the glow worms are actually maggots and the glowiness is actually just their shiny shit. They lower these strands of stickiness to attract food stuffs, then real up the strands and eat their food and then they glow.

Eventually, they become flies and they live for 3 to 5 days and basically just reproducing. Ah, the fabulous life of a glow worm.
The cave we were in is something like 30 million years old. (can that be right? I'm not sure. but that's what Aaron told me.) When you think about it, it just sort of blows your mind. Blows my mind, at least, to be inside something where dinosaur type creatures used to hang out and where Maori warriors used to chill and explore. (Maori's were hella gangsta, btw. They would rise to power through violence. A couple hundred Maori warriors once totally defeated a British battalion made up of 1500 men with guns. And a Maori chief has all the power and so his words have power and people who go against you basically just get the smack down. so gangsta!) But yeah, to be navigating your way inside a cave that has existed for millions of years is just like, I don't know.. really cool. I mean the glow worms were cool too, but to me, just being in the cave was equally as cool. I've been in other caves on other continents and it was a different experience of feeling hot and claustrophobic and almost not able to breathe, and so I guess if given the choice I'd rather have this cave experience and be freezing ass cold, but not really restricted at all (except for in a few places), and of course to experience it with such fun, happy people.
If you had asked me yesterday if I'd do it again, I think I probably would have said no. But now upon reflection, I'd say I'd definitely do it again, and I highly recommend the experience (just maybe in the summertime, lol).