Day 13 - Te Anau and the Glow-worm Caves

Sunday 17 Apr

After a nice late start - 8.45 am - we cruised quietly to Te Anau. Comfort stops on the way included Kingston, which is built on the terminal moraine left by the glacier that gouged out Lake Wakatipu, and is close to the Otago - Southland border. We had been a week or so too early for the major autumn display in Otago, but I have hopes that Southland will compensate.

The area is mostly farming country, and we have left much of the beautiful native bush behind. Farms are managed differently here, thanks to the short growing season. It is mostly brassicas and root crops, and lots of hay/silage to feed out over the long winter months.

I now know that NZ has 16 species of tussock. One quite rare variety is the red tussock, this is now preserved and protected on reserves like the one just past Mossburn on Route 94. As well as our National Parks, there are less well-known reserves for other reasons such as preservation, or scientific study. Ellen gave us quite a fascinating talk about what some of them are for.

Te Anau is the largest lake in the South Island by surface area, and the second-largest in NZ, after Taupo. It is the third-deepest, but is the largest body of fresh water in Australasia by volume. It is so pure that you can dip a cup and drink straight from the lake.

After lunch and a wander around the shops, ten of us met at the dock and boarded the Luminosa for a 25min trip across the lake to the Glow-worm caves.

We had a safety talk by the guide, then a group photo which they were obviously going to sell back to us later. (It turned out to be a really nice one, and included a cd of all the things we were not allowed to photograph ourselves, due to glow-worms not liking light), so we did get it.) At this point Lloyd decided that his claustrophobia would not let him go any further, so he missed out on a great experience. The first part of the walk had us bent double a couple of times (it isn't often I have cause to be grateful for being short <g>), and the lights were very muted. We walked beside a very noisy stream, to a large open area that immediately made me realise why they are compared to cathedrals. To think that all this had been carved out by water was amazing. Then on up steps and around corners to another stop by a very strong waterfall, which, Allison assured us, came out with the force of a jet in winter.

Finally we arrived at the boat dock, and stood in the darkness waiting its return, and admiring the gleaming 'sky' above us. We sat back to back in two rows, with fingers and heads safely tucked in, while Allison pulled us along the chains above, in complete darkness and silence. Periodically she would stop for us to admire the glow-worms, or for another boat to go past. I lost all sense of time, but decided it must have been a good half-hour on the boat, only to discover later that it was no more than half that.

The return journey was just as good. Later I asked if a dam had been created to still the water we travelled on, as certainly there was nothing below that which had remained quiet all the way in. Turns out that a weir was built that can be raised or lowered when needed. That must have been a fun job! Not to mention the trackways in and out. The whole cave complex runs for about five km, but we went in roughly 280m. It seemed longer.

Another easy cruise back to the dock, where the bus was waiting to meet us, and back to the new hotel to unpack, and settle in for two nights.