Travelogue

Our Te Anau Glowworm Tour BoatWe decided to get the challenging drive up to and through the Homer Tunnel today and spend the night in Te Anau at the same Top 10 Holiday Park we stayed in on our way into Milford Sound.

Along our drive to Te Anau, Herb and I discussed what we could do with our unexpected afternoon in Te Anau and both came up with the same answer - A Glowworm Tour.

I did a Google search on Te Anau Glowworm Tours and found that the best one was offered by RealNZ, so we booked a 2:00 pm one, which would give us time to check into our campground and walk down to the wharf where their boat would take us to the cave where they lived.

Herb on Lake Te AnauThe tour included a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau to the western shores of the lake, where we were dropped off at the dock where the Te Anau Glowworm Caves are located.

The Te Anau Glowworm Caves, which we would be exploring today, are only a small, more recently formed section of the expansive 6.7-km Aurora Cave system, a network of limestone passages carved by underground streams and chemical reactions over 30 million years ago. In contrast the lower Te Anau Glowworm Caves were formed a mere 12,000 years ago and are only 250 meters long.

Welcome to Te Anau Glowworm CavesAfter disembarking, we line up in groups of 8 to enter the caves. Unfortunately, no photographing was allowed in the caves because it disturbed the glowworms.

Too bad because the caves were beautiful, with underground rock formations and even small waterfalls. It was totally dark except for a few well positioned spotlights on the more fascinating features.

Into the CavesAfter walking for a short distance, our group of 8 climbed into a small boat which brought us into a dark grotto, where we were treated to a mesmerizing display of hundreds of glowworms hanging from the cave walls and ceiling, emitting their blue-green light, which they emit through a process called bioluminescence.

These "glowworms" are actually the larvae of a species of fly, Arachnocampa luminosa, which are unique to New Zealand.

The most interesting thing about them is the way they catch their prey. It’s quite creative:

Once they establish themselves on a cave surface, they create silk threads that they suspend below them. These threads are covered in sticky music and act as “fishing lines,” creating a trap for insects

They then use their bioluminescence to attract unsuspecting customers that are drawn to the light. When an insect flies towards the light and gets caught in the sticky threads, the glowworm senses the disturbance and reels in the thread.

Then it’s dinner time

Okay, that was an interesting and fun way to spend the day.