Waitomo caves and luxury living...

The wake up alarm went at 5am and I could not have been less inclined to get out of bed. It was to be a 2 and a half hour drive to the caves in Waitomo.
We arrived to be split into two groups for the black-water caving experience in and through the caves.
As a group of five, going at the later time of 10am, we set off to the changing rooms and squeezed into our wetsuits, socks and booties. A short van ride to the cave, a quick safety briefing and a few tests of using the rappel devices and we were good to go.
As the most nervous, my group let me go first, rappelling the 120foot, hour glass shaped shaft, lowering myself slowly, whilst trying not to firstly cry, or secondly, throw up on my guide at the base of the rappel. After everyone had undertaken this mammoth task, we were all sat at the base and to,d to switch our helmet lights off. As we gazed up, we could see glow worms covering the ceiling, and this continued through the cave they were EVERYWHERE. Actually as glow worms, they are a form of fly larvae preparing to hatch, by accumulating Mosquitos etc. via threads within their cave.
The next step was passing down a flying fox zip line. It was exhilarating flying down looking up at the glow worms as if a night sky above.
After this we had a brief hot chocolate and flapjack break, and went on to jump into the river in tubes ready for the blackwater rafting. We pulled ourselves along a reach of the cave before getting out and walking further. Touring the caves on foot, through tranquility passage, nipple pool (because it was so cold!) and the drunken stumble was a great experience. The final section of the trip was after a hot Raro and some chocolate. We were offered to climb two waterfalls of doom. It was exhilarating pulling yourself up out of the water, and crawling on the low ground to the next, before one more climb and surfacing through to the daylight.
After the trip was time for a warm shower, hot bagel, and soup.
A short drive then brought us to Castle Rock Lodge. Walking through the door really made me feel like I am on holiday. There is sky TV, films, a pool, a spa, 2 massive sofas, and most of all after the past week, HEATING.
It is now time to fully relax in the warmth for the first time in a while and get a really decent nights sleep.