Glow Worms!

 Who knew that New Zealand is home to these very unique glow worms- not actually worms at all! These short lived see through larvae, about the size of a matchstick, attach themselves to the walls and ceilings of caves. They make long sticky strings, about 30 of them. Their bright green tails glow and attract insects that get stuck in those long sticky strings. We took a boat to the caves and them walked through the cave along a roaring river and waterfalls until we reached the inner sanctum where we boarded a small 12 seater metal boat. Our guide navigated the boat in pitch darkness through a narrow waterway that eventually opened up to a bigger area where the walls and ceilings lit up with thousands of tiny glowing greed dots. It really is hard to describe. These pictures are from the journey to the caves. Cameras are not allowed in the caves for very obvious reasons!