Black Water Rafting

I was really looking forward to this—Black Water Rafting in one of the Waitomo Caves, a 3-hour fun experience! After all the formalities (getting our gear, squeezing into some painfully tight wetsuits, and a few instructions on what to expect), we hopped into a van to be driven to a river. There, we practiced jumping into the water with our tubes since one part of the experience involved jumping backwards off a 1.5 meter waterfall, tube around your butt. Fun, huh? I certainly thought so!

With a successful practice session under our belts, we arrived at the cave. And in we went! The first cool part was a little extra loop that let us circle back to where we’d already passed through. The loop was elevated, and you had to climb into it. There wasn’t much space, so you had to crawl and remember the directions: left, left, right, left. We were told, "This is optional. Do not do this if you have claustrophobia." I just thought "Tuwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitu" (Feel the fear and do it anyway) and did it. Awesome!

Next came a narrow tunnel where you couldn’t walk or crawl—you had to lie flat in your tube and glide through the water. So awesome! After that, we slid down two smaller waterfalls (no biggie, pretty easy) and either walked or tubed through the cave. At one point, we all linked up in a line by sitting/lying in our tubes and holding onto the feet of the person behind us. The guide led us through this section in complete darkness so we could enjoy the glowworms on the cave ceiling.

Then came the waterfall jump. Really awesome—and definitely my favorite part! Not knowing where you’re jumping, surrounded by darkness and stalactites, made it even more thrilling. Yes, it was only 1.5 meters, but still, nothing short of awesome. (Let’s play a drinking game: re-read this post, and every time you see the word "awesome," take a drink of your choice. :D)

At the end, we were all in our tubes, paddling through the freezing cave river to the exit—again in complete darkness to see the glowworms. All in all, it was a fantastic experience! (For those of you who were gearing up to drink, here you go: awesome!)

The only thing that took away from the fun a little was my attempt to stay overly hydrated before the adventure. I was determined not to defile the wetsuit. We were told that if the need arose, we could let the guides know, and they’d show us to a secluded part of the cave. I did let them know of my need for some privacy, and they assured me that the next part of the cave would allow for this. I kept waiting… and waiting. So, what was "the next part of the cave"? Well, apparently, it never came. They forgot. So, that 3-hour moment of agony was, wait for it—not awesome.

For those wondering: I stuck to my mission and returned a perfectly fine wetsuit. You’re welcome. Awesome, right?

After braving the cold, we were welcomed back at the reception with a hot shower and some hot tomato soup while getting a chance to peek at the pictures taken.

P.S.: I feel weird ending this post without this: Awesome!もっと詳しく