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Magic in Real-Life: New Zealand’s Glowworm Caves

Note: All Photos in this post courtesy of Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tours unless otherwise specified.

If Epcot ever gets a New Zealand pavilion, I already know what the ride should be: a quick sail through dark waters illuminated only by glow worms.

Let me explain. New Zealand is home to a lot of magnificent sites. From its many mountains to its hot springs, to its Lord of the Rings filming locations, there are a plethora of natural things to see and do here. And while I haven’t seen them all, I have seen quite a few, yet none of them have been as magical or as memorable as my time spent in Waitomo.

Waitomo is a small town on the North Island that has a population of about 50 people. However, its population grows by the thousands on any given day, as travelers from all over come here to see glowworm caves. Now, to be fair, glowworm is a nice name for the fly maggots that glow with bioluminescence in the area, but still, they are a really beautiful sight to behold.

A close-up of the magical glowworms in Waitomo

The many caves in the area are also where Waitomo gets its name. In Maori, the language of the native New Zealanders here, Waitomo is a combination of two words: “wai” or water, and “tomo” or hole. According to the town’s official tourism site, the combining of these words literally translates to “stream which flows into the hole in the ground.” It is these streams that provide the unique environment needed for the glowworms to grow and thrive.

Oh, and because this is New Zealand there was also a hike involved. Here’s a look at some of the limestone rocks that line the Waitomo countryside, and are responsible for the caves in the area (Photo by Amiekay)

There are a number of companies that run glowworm tours in Waitomo, including one that allows you to go rafting through the caves. However, because I went sort of unplanned, we had to call around and really just go with whichever tour would take us. This ended up being Spellbound, a private tour company who has access to caves outside of the town center. For Spellbound’s tour, we took a bit of a lengthy car ride through town, parks, and eventually a private farm. During this time, our comedic tour guide asked us silly questions like “if you were a cake, what kind of cake would you be?” to pass the time. He also told us a bit of history about the area, including the opening of sinkholes that would often result in the deaths of cows.

The tour we were on included a boat ride through a wet cave and a walking tour through a dry cave. Both are interesting and informative, but the first cave is far more spectacular. During this tour, not only are you treated to your first look at the glowworms but also you are given plenty of time for your eyes to adjust before getting into the boat. This means you see more glowworms more clearly.

A picture of the raft we took through the cave.

I have to be honest, the whole thing really felt like a ride at Disney World. It seemed totally unreal and completely out of a storybook, and I found that I had to repeatedly remind myself it was in fact, not only real life but also a natural phenomenon. Sure, the lights were being made by maggots but they are beautiful. (Our comedic tour guide also told us that the glowworms sometimes fall from the ceiling, but luckily this did not happen on my trip.)

A look at the worms in the light

After the boat ride, our tour stopped off for coffee and biscuits before heading to the dry cave. The dry cave is a little more traditional and features the tour guide explaining the difference between stalagmites and stalactites. However, there were some only in New Zealand moments. Including a close up look at the skeleton of a Moa bird, an ostrich-like animal that was killed off when the Maori arrived on the island hundreds of years ago. (We also were shown cave wetas and a huntsman spider, but I was a little less thrilled about those things.)

The skeleton of a young Moa that experts believe fell into the cave and died
Another skeleton we were shown, which our guide told us is the “most photographed dead cow” in New Zealand. I think he was joking… (Photo by Amiekay)

Overall, I have to say the glowworm caves are a must-see for anyone visiting New Zealand. While there are glowworms elsewhere in the world, the ones here are larger and more plentiful than anywhere else. And the tours aren’t expensive, either. Our entire tour cost $75 NZD and was 2 hours long, but some of the other tours cost as little as $35 NZD. Much cheaper than Disney World.

A look at what the glowworms looked like to the naked eye (Photo by Amiekay)
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Hello 2018: What’s Next For Me

2017 will always be the year I took the leap. 2018 will be the year I take back my life.

What does that mean? While I don’t have too many specifics, I will do my best to try and explain.

One specific I can give you is I will be leaving New Zealand as soon as possible. Whether that is when my visa is up in May or sooner is yet to be seen, but I do not plan to stay and settle here. There’s a lot of reasons behind this but they are not limited to cost of living, weather, and lifestyle. Kiwis are much more outdoorsy than I am, and while I do enjoy hiking, I would much rather spend my day lounging on a warm beach that I didn’t have to walk an hour through bush to get to.

This isn’t to say New Zealand is a bad place; this is a beautiful country with a lot of unique experiences to offer. I even had an opportunity to stay long term, but after a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion its not for me. While I wouldn’t mind staying to the end of my visa as planned, the cost of living here is really catching up with me and making it hard to pay my bills. I am also missing the creativity and purpose of my former career, and staying would mean not only would I be giving up travel, but I would also be giving up my chances to do something creative full-time.

This leads to the next question: where am I headed next? The short answer is: I don’t know. The long answer? I want to find a “home base,” and a creative job in a place I can see my self-living long-term. I have focused a lot of my search for jobs in Florida, as that is where home is for me. However, I am also applying for positions in Australia, Singapore, and other places in the states and around the world. The outcomes of these applications will determine where I head next.

How does this have anything to do with me “taking back my life?” Well, I want a career again. I want to make and create meaningful content, whether that be at a tech company, a news organization or something else. I miss having a job that I am proud to go to every day. (Or at least a remote one that would let me travel.)

2017 will always be the year I decided to live abroad for the first time. Its been full of highs and lows and lots of life experiences I would’ve otherwise missed out on had I not done it. I have grown spiritually and emotionally, and I am so thankful for this year. Fortunately or unfortunately, my first stop on this adventure wasn’t meant to be the final stop. It’s scary and frightening to be back to “not knowing” where I will be in a few months again, but it’s also a little exciting.

However, if you still want more New Zealand content, don’t worry! I have quite a few new adventures to write up and share with you, as well as a potential 4 more months here, so you can look forward to that in 2018.

Happy New Year.

Sunset at North Piha Beach
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Pit Stop in Cairns

Day 3 in Australia was quite a bit less eventful than the first two days, but it was still a good one. We started the day lounging on Four Mile Beach, just steps away from the Sheraton Mirage Resort where we were staying.
Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach offers really gorgeous views of a seemingly never-ending beach, so its great for photos and a stroll. But when it comes to the more normal beach activities like lounging in the sand or swimming, I would recommend you try elsewhere. This is especially pertinent when it came to swimming because the water had an unidentifiable film on it. I’m honestly not sure what it was; while it could’ve likely been algae seemed a bit more like pollution. You’re also only allowed to swim in certain areas of the beach, as jellyfish are very prevalent in the area.

Later in the evening, we made the drive south to Cairns because the two ladies I was with had tickets to see Sir Elton John. I did not choose to attend the concert for a few reasons: saving money and wanting time to properly explore the location since we were only staying there a day. I am so happy I made this choice.

The Lagoon, a fancy swimming pool along the waterfront in Cairns

Prior to the concert, Ashley and I went shopping while Katherine relaxed following our long day in the sun and water. The shopping in Cairns was some of the best shopping I’ve been able to experience on this side of the world. (Although, granted, I’ve only really gone shopping in Wellington, Brisbane and Gold Coast.) This is likely because Cairns is a city that was designed specifically with tourists in mind, or at least it seems that way. Cute boutiques, restaurants, and bars line the city’s main streets, all of which lead to the Esplanade, or boardwalk. There you can stroll along the water and take in the pelicans and the city skyline. And while there is no beach or ocean access there is a “lagoon” or pool that you can swim in to get your fill. Me? I was more interested in the sundresses every store had for sale. I live in sundresses (unless its winter in Wellington) so in the end, had to buy one from a store called Global Free Style. The shop was full of unique retro designs that flatter any figure, making it hard to resist. The one I got has a unique neckline and is covered in watermelons. (Now, to move to a place where I can wear it more often….)

Ashley, for her part, stumbled upon a funky little Asian-style boutique named Red Ginger which was full of inexpensive clothes and accessories. I mean, this place had purses decorated with guitars, cats, and even American dollar bills. The clothing ranged from flowy and fun to retro chic. I would recommend it to anyone visiting the city that likes unique items and is on a budget.

After our little shopping trip, it was back to our hotel, Tropical Heritage Cairns. Now, while this place was certainly not the Sheraton Mirage, it was a nice, inexpensive option with lots of space. For about $50 each, we stayed in a room that had 3 beds and a kitchenette. It was massive. Then it was time to drive the ladies to the concert.

Eventually, it was time for me to drive the ladies to the concert. Now, in case you don’t know, the rules of the road in Australia and New Zealand are more similar to the UK than those in the states. That is, they both drive on the opposite side of the road and the steering wheel is in what we know as the passenger side of the car. This in itself doesn’t seem like it will cause too much issue, after all, driving is driving, that is, until you remember just how much of driving is muscle memory. So in addition to automatically turning to the right side of the road, you also are trained to shift gears with your right hand and to switch on your turn signals with your left hand. Your windshield wipers are the lever on your right.

Of course, none of that is true in cars where the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. Everything is reversed (except the pedals, thank God.) This means, when you go to turn, you not only have to think about which side of the road you’re turning on, you also have to remember to switch gears with your left hand and signal to the whole road that you’re turning by switching on the windshield wipers. (Which, while I’ve driven quite a bit here now, I still do on occasion. Old habits and all that.)

 

Now while I did drive briefly in Port Douglas, this drive was far more memorable for one reason: I had to get myself back from the concert venue to our hotel alone. That means, no one was there to correct me if I turned on the wrong side of the road, or help me out if I got lost. It was an experience that allowed me to fully appreciate life with GPS; between remembering which side of the road to drive on, and remembering that the slow lane here is on the left side of the road and not the right, I can’t imagine having to look at an actual map. (Bravo to all of you who have done this.) I am happy to say I made it back in one piece and without any errors that I know of. The trip also allowed me to see route “A1:” a major thoroughfare around downtown Cairns that’s dotted with businesses. Its pretty unspectacular, but is very reminiscent of A1A in South Florida, so for me, it felt like home.
Banyan trees lit up along the Cairns Esplanade

After parking the car, it was off on a solo adventure for the night. While Cairns is beautiful in the daylight, it really comes alive after sunset. (As I said, it was made for tourists.) Not only does the city have a bit of a bar and restaurant scene, it also lights its trees and esplanade in all sorts of colors, making it feel like a theme park.

I spent the night wandering around, ducking in and out of shops and looking for a place to eat. I also spent a bit of time in the city’s “Night Market,” an inside shopping center inspired by similar, outdoor markets in Asia. In Cairns, its a big open warehouse sort of building in the middle-of-town full of stalls populated by local artisans.
A peek inside the Cairns Night Market

What I was hoping to find was a bar or pub where I could sit down at the counter and chat with locals or the staff, I unfortunately struggled to find this anywhere; most places were either packed or only offered places to stand by the bar. I ended up eating at a burger chain called Grill’d. While the food (and the wine) were tasty, my favorite thing about the place was the bottle cap the restaurant gave me with my purchase.

The Grill’d “Do Good” jars
Grill’d, a family-owned Australian business, has a program called “Do Good.” Every month, each Grill’d location pledges to donate a total of $500 to local charities and chooses where to give this money based on “votes.” Each location chooses 3 charities each month to support, and gives each one a jar. Then, when you go into Grill’d and spend money you get a bottle cap and choose which charity you’d like to see get the most money. At the end of the month, the store counts the votes. The charity with the most votes gets $300, and the other two get $100 each. Pretty neat.

 

After eating and a bit more of a stroll, I headed back to the hotel, knowing we had a long drive ahead of us the next day to Airlie Beach. And as the other two ladies were at a concert, I assumed I would be doing most of the driving.
A look at downtown Cairns from the edge of The Esplanade
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Exploring Eastbourne

Sorry for all the cheesy names. I figured they are more exciting than “Amiekay went on another hike!” But really, that’s what I did, and this time it was just 20 minutes outside of the city.

Even the signs are works of art here

If you’ve ever looked at Wellington, New Zealand on a map, you know it sits on one side of a horseshoe-shaped harbor. Well, Eastbourne is the small village that sits on the other side of that same harbor. Its small, but it is cute, and behind it is a nature preserve called “Butterfly Creek.”

This trek didn’t end in a perfect view, but it certainly had some good ones along the way

Contrary to what the name may lead you to believe, there are very few butterflies in the area. In fact, the area is said to have gotten its name because there was a patch of land nearby that was shaped like a butterfly. Unfortunately, the only remaining evidence of this shape is the area’s name.

I loved the way the sun shone directly on the tropical looking fern at the time. Doesn’t quite read as well in a picture but at the time it was quite stunning to me

There’s a couple of different tracks you can take through the preserve, some of which are said to have been used by New Zealand’s native Maori. However, these paths certainly feel more modern than most paths, as they are full of steps, signs, benches, and directions to help you along the way.

The trek my friend Anca and I took was the one to the picnic area by the creek. It is a steep climb, but well worth it for the views, vegetation, and peacefulness. It was definitely the most “wooded” hike I have taken since being here other than Zealandia, but it was gorgeous. Also, the trip was pretty short, just an hour each way. (But, as it was steep, it was also a pretty decent workout.)

The view from the picnic area. This place would be a nice spot for couples, I imagine

The picnic area itself is really pretty as well, and I’m not just saying that because we brought chocolate hazelnut cake from the most amazing little cafe with us. (It is called Chocolate Dayz Cafe in Days Bay and if you’re ever in the area you better go. The food’s great but the views are better.)

Sometimes I wonder why I bought a gym membership when I have all this beautiful natural exercise waiting for me just minutes from where I live. But I’m in the contract until May so I guess I’ll still have to go and keep lifting weights or something.

Butterfly Creek is quite stunning
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Wellington Zoo

The entrance to the Wellington Zoo

I have conflicting feelings on zoos: On one hand, I recognize that they are necessary for conservation and education and without either its hard to preserve and protect the animals in their natural environment. But while this is true, I think we can all agree that the animals would likely be happier roaming freely and it is for this reason I rarely frequent zoos.

However, having never been to a zoo outside of the states, I was quite curious as to what one might be like elsewhere in the world and recently took the opportunity to visit the Wellington Zoo during its “Open Weekend” event. Essentially, for two days at the end of May the zoo and another popular attraction, Zealandia, allow entry for a $2 NZD donation, or about $1.40 USD. The donations go directly to the Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund, which actively helps save animals in the wild, which is something I can get behind.

The outside of the Wellington Zoo in the suburb of Newtown

Not only was I pleasantly surprised with how large the zoo was, but it was also a zoo experience unlike any other I’ve had. Many of the animals were within arms reach and free to roam the exhibits, which is something that doesn’t happen in traditional zoos in the states.

For example, the exhibit dedicated to animals from Australia is one open path where the wallabies, kangaroos, and emu roam freely. I could’ve touched the animals if I wanted to, but didn’t for obvious reasons.

I imagine this emu saying “touch me, I dare you” to me and all of the nearby children

The red pandas and kaka exhibits were similarly open as well.

One of the 3 Kakas who flew above my head during my visit

In addition to the open exhibits, I also saw several animals get fed during the day, which is pretty standard when it comes to zoos, but not something I ever experienced before. And while watching the otters eat was adorable, I can’t say the same for the lions, as I could hear them crush and devour the bones while eating the whole chicken and rack of ribs. However, it was nice to see the big cat so close.

The only picture I got of the lion where you can’t see him devouring meat

But the real highlight of the trip for me, of course, was seeing a kiwi bird. Unfortunately, since the birds are nocturnal and in a dark exhibit, I was unable to get a picture of the bird to share. However, I am thankful the area was dark because otherwise I likely wouldn’t have gotten to see a kiwi, and honestly, what trip to New Zealand is complete without such an experience?

The sun bear posed for me to take a picture

Quick Overview:

Price: Adults: $23 NZD, Children ages 3-14: $11 NZD, Under 3: Free

Hours of Operation:  9:30am-5pm daily

Good for: Solo travelers, families with kids, photographers, anyone who wants to see a kiwi bird

Oh yes, they also have sheep (for the record this is the first one I’ve seen since arriving in New Zealand)

 

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I’m not looking for anything

I'm not looking for anything

​“I hope you find what you’re looking for.’ 

When I started telling people I was planning to quit my job and move to New Zealand, just about everyone reacted one of two ways.

The most common one among my close friends and family was “You’re so brave!” Now, while I don’t feel particularly courageous, I can understand the sentiment; I’m doing something a lot of people only dream about. And yeah, leaving the comfort of everything you know isn’t exactly easy, especially if you’re doing it hrough tears.

But boy, the other one. The other one got under my skin.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Um. What?

Why is it that when we do something out of the ordinary, people assume we are doing it because something is wrong with us? That we are searching to fill something that’s missing?

 

Last I checked, I was a whole person. And from someone who spent years in depression and anxiety, I can tell you that I couldn’t take this leap if I didn’t finally feel complete on my own.

And before anyone says it, I know part of this is the recent rise in books like “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Wild” that feature female protagonists who go into the unknown to heal. But it still feels somewhat condescending to me, as if I’m less of a person because I don’t want a house, a husband and 2.5 kids at 30. (Trust me, I tried to want that life and failed miserably.)

Bottom line: I’m not searching for anything, I’m just finally risking everything for my dream, and I guess that makes me brave.

 

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Long LAX Layovers: Don’t do them

Long LAX Layovers Title Amiekay's Adventure

I usually don’t mind layovers. There’s something exciting to me about being in an airport surrounded by people coming and going from all over. Better yet, layovers that are more than a few hours long let you go out an explore a new destination.

Unfortunately, that’s not true at Los Angeles International Airport in California, USA. At least if you have a checked bag.

My flight to Wellington from Baltimore was all on the same booking and with partner airlines. However, I had to pick up my bags in LAX because I had a 12 hour layover. No big deal, I thought; I’ll either check my bags through to my next flight or pay to drop them off somewhere.

Unfortunately, I ended up doing neither because I’m moving on a budget and well, I don’t have $100 laying around.

But in case you want to know what your options are with baggage at LAX, here they are

1. Check your bags through to your destination 

This may be harder than it sounds, especially flying internationally at LAX because the ticketing counters in the Tom Bradley International Terminal change. That means, if you’re flying a smaller airline (like Fiji Airways, in my case) there may not be an assigned counter when you arrive because there are no scheduled flights. Furthermore, some airlines won’t take your baggage until a certain time.

2. Pay a company to watch your baggage offsite

There are no lockers at the airport for security reasons in our post-9/11 world. All are at least a mile away, but you do have options:

• LAX Luggage Storage: I almost used this company because of it’s sheer convenience. For $5 per bag LAX Luggage Storage will pick up your bags from the airport, and for another $5 per bag you can have them drop it off as well. This doesn’t include gratuity or the price of storage (around $10 a day per bag.)

• LAX 24/7 Locker Rentals: This option is far more affordable, but be advised it is quite a walk if you’re one person with 3 bags. For a maximum of $24 a day, you can rent a large locker which can fit your full-sized checked bag and likely another small item. If you need more than that you’ll have to pay for another locker, and walk those suckers to and from the airport

3. Rent a car 

Honestly, this may be your best option. For about $45 a day you can rent a car and drive it to the sites you want to see. And it comes with a storage option: your trunk. The only downside to this is traffic and the price of parking (if you can find it.)If you do choose to use a baggage drop off, remember that doesn’t include your transportation, and most of what you want to see is at least a $10 Lyft ride each way. However, there is an In & Out near the airport so, you could always do that.

As for me, a nice family flying our gave me one of the sodas they couldn’t take through security, so at least that is a win.

Now, if I had been able to get my hands on a Nintendo Switch, getting stuck at the airport wouldn’t be a problem.