Waitomo Caves: Aglow with appeal

Sometimes excitement is foiled by reality, but my first foray to Waitomo exceeded my bright-eyed expectations.

Magical, mysterious Waitomo makes for a perfectly-proportioned weekend escape, just an hour's drive from Hamilton Airport.

Waitomo's enchanting playground, millions of years in the making, began with the formation of limestone when the region was beneath the sea. Limestone is a fossil rock made up of the remains of marine animals.

Thirty million years later, the natural wonders of the limestone cave system have given Waitomo worldwide fame. For a splendid overview, first stop should be the Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre. This non-profit community venture in the village, provides a comprehensive introduction to Waitomo's treasures, including the caves' history, local culture, fossils, the lifecycle of the glowworm and even a chance to try your hand at cave crawling.

With more than 300 known caves in the area, and a big selection of tour operators, choosing which caves to explore is a formidable assignment. I opted for the old faithful, the original Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour, which has been hosting visitors since Queen Victoria's time.

My beginner's tour, led by a member of the iwi that helped discover the caves more than a century ago, is a journey into an underground world of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and natural caverns, including the spectacular cathedral, which regularly hosts acoustically perfect concerts. World-class choirs and singers, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, have performed here, and I hear its annual carols by candlelight concert is pretty special.

The highlight is nature's mood lighting, provided by the magic of glowworms.

Waitomo has solidified its status on the adventure tourism map with what it offers adrenalin junkies, including blackwater rafting, night abseiling and zip-lining. A highly recommended operator is Cave World, which offers boutique tours that include exclusive access to the Footwhistle Glowworm Cave. The one-hour excursion begins with a brisk eco-bush walk, passing streams and waterfalls, before surrendering to the marvels of the limestone formations.

Within the candlelit cavern you can see the remains of our largest bird, now extinct, the mighty moa.

When in Waitomo, set aside time for a quick westward road trip to an above-ground wonder of nature. The Mangapohue Natural Bridge Walk is one of my favourite short New Zealand bush walks. The track weaves through pristine native bush, full of birdsong, to the crowning glory of this ancient cave system - the Mangapohue Natural Bridge. This 17m-high limestone arch is all that remains of an age-old cave, now clothed in greenery. The walking track's stairways enable you to size up this towering landmark from different perspectives.

The grand dame of hospitality, the Waitomo Caves Hotel, has been welcoming the world for more than a century and that old-world charm is still a pleasure. The original hotel building was inspired by the mountain chalets of Europe, constructed in New Zealand Victorian style. Victorian architects were obsessed with asymmetry and the octagonal corner is home to the turret room, the honeymoon suite, which I had the pleasure of experiencing, albeit on my own. An Art Deco wing was added to the hotel in the late 1920s because of swelling visitor demand.