Departing Auckland at 7am you will take a pleasant drive south over the Bombay Hills into the rich dairy farmland of the Waikato, following the Waikato River past the sacred Maori burial ground of Mt Taupiri,

on through Ngaruawahia, seat of the Maori King Movement. Turning westwards, we take a more scenic rural route to Waitomo via small settlements, to the village of Pirongia beside the 962m mountain of the same name. We’ll take time to relax here for a tea/coffee break. The rolling countryside affords some great elevated views over the surrounding farmland, you can even view Mt Ruapehu in the centre of the North Island on a clear day.

Aat the Kiwi House you are guaranteed to see our nocturnal Kiwi and other native birds.

A 3¼ hour glowworm cave experience, that starts with a short drive on scenic back country roads, visiting two private caves on a back country sheep and cattle farm, before walking among limestone outcrops and descending into a gorge to meet a picturesque stream. The first, Spellbound Glowworm cave is virtually totally adorned with glowworms and comprises of an inflatable raft ride, spending about 45-55 minutes underground. The second, Cave of the Spirit, is made up of stalactites, stalagmites, fossils and a tomo. Time underground here is 40-45 minutes. The walks take 5-10 minutes and there are no steps or stairways in either cave. A refreshment break is had in between caves.