The Lost World

Mangapu Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Near Waitomo. 200 km south of Auckland, 70 km from Hamilton, 16 km from Otorohanga. (-38.259716, 175.113786)
Open:	Tummu Tummu toobing: All year daily 10, 11, 14:30, 15:30. Haggas Honking Holes: All year daily 10, 15. Lost World Abseil: All year daily 7, 10, 11:30, 15. Lost World Epics: All year daily 10:30. St Benedict's Caverns: All year daily 10, 14. Check in is half an hour before departure time. [2007]
Fee:	Tummu Tummu toobing: Per Person NZD 125, minimum age 12, minimum weight 40kg. Haggas Honking Holes: Per Person NZD 195, minimum age 15. Lost World Abseil: Per Person NZD 245. Lost World Epics: Per Person NZD 395, minimum age 15. St Benedict's Caverns: Per Person NZD 145, minimum age 10. [2007]
Classification:	Karst cave Glowworm
Light:	none
Dimension:	Mangapu Cave: L=3,652 m.
Guided tours:	Tummu Tummu toobing: D=4 h. Haggas Honking Holes: D=4 h. Lost World Abseil: D=4 h. Lost World Epics: D=7 h. St Benedict's Caverns: D=3 h. [2007]
Photography:	not allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Waitomo Adventures Ltd, PO Box 29, Waitomo Caves Village, Tel: +64-7-8787788, Fax: +64-7-8786266. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

photography — Black Water Rafting participants with inner tubes, Waitomo, New Zealand. Public Domain.

The guided cave trekking tours of Lost World are really spectacular, the organizer won the New Zealand Tourism Award. The 100 m deep abseil is the deepest commercial abseil into a cave in the world. The abseil from the surface into a mist-filled hall with light falling through a great hole in the roof is very impressing. It takes about 15 minutes and is rather calm and silent. After a break with some food, the visitors leave the cave, either through dry passages or up the cave river.

But this abseil is not a must, there are several trips, ranging from some hours to a whole day. For example there is St Benedict's Caverns, enthusiastically called the prettiest piece of known cave in New Zealand. The trip includes some walking to reach the remote cave and one hour in the beautiful cave with ist many speleothems. There is also a blackwater rafting tour called Tummu Tummu toobing, where visitors swim down an underground stream with truck tubes. And as this is new Zealand, the tour apparently provides glowworms.

This are guided cave tours, but they are of the pretty demanding and sportive type. Some tours are definitely intended for people who otherwise do bungee jumping, climbing, or whatever extreme sport. Be aware that there are various restrictions like minimum age, minimum wight, and maximum weight. All participants must make a test if they fit through the narrow parts of the cave. Although most of the equipment is provided there are several requirements on clothes and equipment to bring. Booking is very much recommended if not necessary, so we suggest checking all requirements. Check in time is always 30 minutes before the start, this time is needed for change of clothes asf.