Waitomo Caves

Two attractions brought us to this area. One was the large collection of underground caverns that can be explored (for a price), and the other was a Shearing Shed (for Angora Rabbits, that is).

Our first stop was the Shearing Shed, where I was most interested in the ultra-soft wool that is sold only at this shop. The fur sheared from the rabbits is spun with merino wool to make a wonderfully soft product. I thought the rabbits might also hold some interest for the kids, but little did I realize just how much. Each day at 12:45, a rabbit is shorn for the viewing pleasure of the public. Each rabbit, in the collection of over 300, is shorn 4 times a year to keep it from overheating (and dying, we are told), so it only seems to make sense that the owners entertain the public as well. These rabbits were originally bred in Germany for their coats and are the only rabbits that are shorn. (All other rabbits that give their coats for yarn have the fur pulled as they shed.) Benjamin promptly termed these large bunnies “fuzz balls with heads.” We were all very entertained by the shearing and talk about spinning.
The second attraction nearly paled in comparison. We took a guided tour of the Aranui Cave which was discovered in the early 1900’s. The numerous stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful. Unfortunately, this cave appeared to have more damage from early souvenir collectors. One thing that I’d never seen in a cave such as these before was a formation that was covered with an iron oxide coating. After viewing the cave, we took an even more incredible *free* hike through the local bush. The Dept. of Conservation has constructed a trail through a breathtakingly beautiful area of rushing river and natural tunnels. In some areas we felt like Indiana Jones as we walked along cantilevered wooden walkways (i.e. you could see between the narrow slats to the violent rapids many meters below!!) At one point, the track takes you into a huge natural tunnel for a look at the river from a viewing platform. Talk about invigorating!
One final note, we knew it was time to finish our trip when a nice lady at the Fruit & Vege stand where Mark and I were buying mandarins and kiwi fruit commented that we both looked very tired.