Waitomos' eco-commitment is also evident in its offices, built of sustainably grown pine, the high-thermal-mass design means it requires no heating - even in the winter months. Photo / Supplied
One of New Zealand's most iconic and historic tourist attractions is right here in our Waikato backyard.
The vast underground world of grottoes, limestone formations, streams, and galaxies of glow worms in the Waitomo region has been drawing visitors since the late 1880s, soon after the caverns known today as the Waitomo Glowworm Caves were first explored by local Māori chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace.
Whether they are planting native trees, ensuring their buildings are energy efficient or monitoring the fragile cave ecosystems, Waitomo's tourism businesses take sustainability seriously.
As part of the Mighty Local story series, this week the Waikato Herald looks at the environmental protection work being undertaken by these companies that daily invite visitors into the delicate subterranean world, delighting them with unforgettable experiences, adrenalin-fuelled adventures, and local Māori legends.
They are ardent about protecting the unique Waitomo environment, both above and below the ground. Of course, ensuring the pristine state of the caves is vital to their business success, however, they are also dedicated to protecting the fragile cave ecosystems, for the sake of this natural place itself – and for the enjoyment and learning of the generations to come.
Waitomo Adventures chief executive Nick Andreef is an enthusiastic caver who has led tours of the caves for decades.
Like others in the Waitomo area, Nick and his team work alongside local farmers and others in the community to extensively plant native trees and fence off waterways, helping to ensure the areas around the cave entrances and the streams that flow into them are filtered as nature intended.
They have planted native trees in some 50 hectares surrounding the entrances to the Lost World and Haggas Honking Holes caves they guide visitors through on their abseiling and blackwater rafting adventures.
"It's a really fragile environment and we know we have to look after it," he says.
"We have a special fern in Lost World that occurs in only three places in New Zealand. It's called Asplenium cimmeriorum and is the lowest light-tolerant land-based plant in the world.
"In the water there are eels, and in Lost World we often see frogs."
Waitomo Adventures' eco-commitment is also evident in its booking and administration office. It is built of sustainably grown pine and the high-thermal-mass design means it requires no heating – even in the winter months. Solar panels on the roof provide power, including for the underfloor heating in the day spa and wellness centre in the building.
The company's Lost World adventure, which begins with a dramatic 100m abseil down through light-filtered mist into the caves, is amongst the iconic tourism experiences featured in Tourism New Zealand's global "If You Seek" marketing campaign.
Providing tours and underground experiences in the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave, Discover Waitomo is another caving operator living and breathing sustainability.
The company has set up sensors in the caves to monitor carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, water temperature and water levels. If carbon dioxide levels or the temperature gets too high or low, the sensors open or close a door at the entrance to the cave system to help restore the balance.
Discover Waitomo's environmental manager, Shannon Corkill, explains that ensuring a balanced atmosphere in the caves assists to protect the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites that have naturally formed over millions of years.
Data gathered is used to make decisions about the management of the cave environment, including the number of tours that can run on any given day.
"In the past, we have cancelled tours because carbon dioxide levels may be too high. The environment and our commitment to our role as kaitiaki – guardian – comes first and foremost, always," Shannon says.
In another protection initiative, Discover Waitomo monitors glow worm population trends by taking photos in the main glowworm cave every 30 minutes. The photos and associated data are shared with an environmental advisory group of New Zealand and Australian scientists, contributing to their research while helping the company improve its management of the cave ecosystem.
Peter Chandler, who heads up Spellbound which offers small group tours of caves that are located under a private farm, is also a resolute protector of the environment.
With then business partner John Ash, Peter introduced the exciting experience of blackwater rafting to the Waitomo area back in the 1980s.
He is proud that the land around the two caves Spellbound operates in – Spellbound Glowworm Cave and Cave of the Spirit – is now a reserve protected forever under a QEII National Trust covenant.
He says the improving health of the forest above is visibly improving glowworm populations.
"Increasing forest cover keeps the atmosphere damp – required by glow worms – and we believe it may also be improving their food supply."
Spellbound carefully keeps lighting in the caverns to a minimum, relying on the light generated by the glow worms with low-level solar-powered lighting in Cave of the Spirit.
Along with planting native species and removing pest plants, plus predator control, Spellbound is also working on eventually becoming carbon neutral with initiatives including minimising waste, opting for electric vehicles, and making greater use of solar power.