Waitomo: Underground movement gathers fans

Happy tubers greet the daylight with broad smiles and thumbs up. Photo / Supplied

You don't expect to see an aeroplane inside the Waitomo Caves. Which is why our black-water rafting guide responds with a less-than-discrete guffaw when she reads my husband's phobia.

"Fear of flying" probably isn't a major when you're about to descend into the bowels of the Earth. But my husband is an honest man, and the tubing paperwork suggests we confess our phobias.

I've heard we'll be jumping backwards off waterfalls, so figure my fear of heights is worth a mention. We'll also traverse narrow tunnels with low roofs. I don't think I'm claustrophobic. Can you suddenly develop a new phobia?

Let's get one thing straight. I'm not an adrenalin junkie. Which is why my husband, our two eldest sons and I are going on the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co Labyrinth tour, not the Black Abyss ultimate caving adventure.

One son has heard the latter is a "mind-blowing, totally exhilarating underground adventure", complete with a flying fox through the dark, and feels that's more his style. But, once he reads about the 35m abseiling component, he understands why his mother favours the labyrinth option.

It's hardly a tame thing to do on a Sunday morning, anyway.

Actually, black-water rafting was meant to be a Saturday activity for us, but days of heavy rainfall meant cave water levels were too high.

The postponement is no problem. We had already planned to stay at the pristine Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park, visit the glowworm caves and check out the upmarket HuHu Cafe.

It is all beautiful, peaceful and nourishing but, let's face it, we're here for an adrenalin rush. So we're elated to hear we're in business on Sunday morning.

We are mad keen to discover what it is about black-water rafting that annually attracts tens of thousands of visitors - about half of those from overseas. And that's through this company alone.

We are the only Kiwis in our group, joined by a lone Australian and two couples from Singapore and The Isle of Man.

Our guides, Vashti Duncan and Alan Ford, dish out humorous quips, along with wetsuits, boots and hard hats with lights. Just when I think we couldn't look any sexier, we get to stick our derrieres in black tubes to try them for size.

With high fashion out of the way, Alan and Vashti ensure we get thorough above-ground training in what we will be expected to do underground.

Finally it's the real thing ... and what a blast. I keep expecting to feel fear, but this adventure is just fine for me. It's an exhilarating, rather than a freaky, panic-attack sort of challenge.

Perhaps not for the claustrophobic though, as at one stage we recline right back in our tubes to travel through a tunnel where the cave roof is only about a foot above our heads.

There is plenty of magic - like when the group breaks out in song in this acoustic wonderland; and when we link up to form a snake of tubes and lie back to enjoy the stunning glowworm show on the vaulted limestone galleries above.

And, then, right at the end, it's lights out as we float in total darkness downstream toward the cave exit. Unfurling ponga fronds - floodlit by daylight - have never looked so lush.

Beaming smiles, high fives all around and full-on chatter mark our exit into the real world.

The Australian in our group has visited many places of great majesty, such as the Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, and announces this experience ranks in the world's top 10 things to do.

Say no more.

CHECKLIST

* The Labyrinth tour costs $110 per person.

* Minimum age is 12 and minimum weight is 45kg.

* The tour is offered every day of the year except Christmas day and when water levels are too high due to flooding.

* Tours leave daily between 9am and 3pm every 90 minutes - with additional tours available on demand.

* Allow three hours. This includes paperwork, fitting out and feeding-at-the-end time (hot soup and bagels await). The actual time spent in the caves is about 75 to 90 minutes.

* To find out more, phone 0800 228 464 (0800 CAVING).

Monique Balvert-O'Connor and family adventured at Waitomo courtesy of Discover Waitomo).