Bay of Islands: Kawiti Glow Worm Caves & Opua Forest Walk

4.63

(138 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I honestly didn’t expect to start my morning in the Bay of Islands peering up at a ceiling full of tiny blue lights—glow worms, not stars. Our local Maori guide, Mere, greeted us with this gentle smile and a quick joke about “watching our heads for stalactites.” The air inside the Kawiti Glow Worm Caves was damp and cool, almost sweet-smelling, and every footstep echoed off the limestone. At one point she paused, turned off her torch, and suddenly it was just us and thousands of those little lights. I remember holding my breath because it felt like any sound might break the spell.

Afterwards we drove a short way to Kawakawa. I’d heard people talk about the Hundertwasser Toilets but seeing them in person was… well, kind of hilarious? Tiles everywhere, colors clashing on purpose, even a tree growing through the roof. Li laughed when I tried to pronounce “Hundertwasser” properly—probably butchered it. There were locals coming in and out like it was just another Tuesday, which made me smile. It’s funny what becomes normal when you live somewhere.

The last part was a walk through Opua Forest. It wasn’t long—maybe half an hour—but those Kauri trees are something else. Some are older than most countries (Mere said over a thousand years). Sunlight filtered down in patches and there was this earthy smell that stuck to my clothes for hours after. I kept thinking about how much history those trees have seen, standing quietly while everything else changes around them.