Spellbound Ltd
Spellbound Ltd
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Information
Your Spellbound experience begins the moment you climb into our van. Driving to the caves is an highlight in its own right and your arrival is even better, we become immersed in this special limestone landscape by walking down into the Mangawhitikau Gorge where the cave magic begins.
Glowworms make Waitomo famous and Spellbound has the largest display on offer. In addition, we set out to make your glowworm experience very special by ensuring you see glowworms close up, our guide will explain and answer questions and then you will be spellbound by the most amazing glowworm boatride, experienced in total darkness.
This is the display chosen for the Planet Earth's 'CAVES' documentary.
We look after you all the way, refreshments and a toilet stop are provided before the next cave visit.
The Cave of the Spirit is a fully lit walk-through cave and here we show you the special characteristics of our local caves. There's lots of interesting things to see in here and it's a great cave to photograph in with lovely speleothems and really beautiful lighting.
Tour Information
The tour costs $66 per adult
($67.50 from Oct 1, 2010)
Two caves are visited
Group size is small, 12 max
Suitable for people of all ages and average fitness
Duration, 3 1/4 hours
Cameras are allowed
Refreshments are given
Two beautiful above ground walks are included.
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Reviews
Showing 8 reviews of 125.
Paddy O\\\'Connor
Ranking: 9/10
We did the trip on the 19th March and both thoughly enjoyed it. Our tour guide was great with a nice sense of humour and the caves were spectacular. The operation had a really nice Kiwi down to earth feel about it and was excellent value for money.
We wish you and your Whanau all the best for the future in these trying times.
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Robin Mooring
Ranking: 10/10
We had a great time on our trip to see the Glowworm caves with Spellbound. Our guide was very knowledgeable not only of the history of the caves, local lore, and science of the "glowworms," but also of my random questions regarding plants and other animals.
The experience of being in the caves and seeing the surreal glow of the "worms" in the dark, quiet place was...magical. I felt as if I were looking up at the sky and seeing new constellations.
That the Spellbound company is local and helping tourism in a more personal way, is just one more plus!
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Liz Wade
Ranking: 10/10
This was an excellent trip and very good value for money. Although up to 12 people can go on each trip, we were the only two on this one at 9.00am. Norm is very knowledgeable about the area and about the caves. He ensures that you really experience the impact that Glowworms have on your sight. Nothing is rushed and the tranquil trip down the underground river under a canopy of Glowworms is quite magical. We also enjoyed the cup of tea/coffee and biscuits between trips to the caves. The second cave is also fascinating for very different reasons. It’s interesting to see the bones of different creatures who have made their way down to the caves, particularly the moa bird whose remains have been dated as over 38000 years old! This feels like a very personal and privileged tour and we are delighted to have experienced it.
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Clive Williams
Ranking: 10/10
An amazing experience, from the moment we stepped into the van, Pete gave us a commentary all the way to the caves. His in-depth knowledge of the glow worms and tour of the caves is well worth every cent and we will definitely come again.
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Trevor
Ranking: 10/10
This should be on your Bucket List to do once in your lifetime. The view of the glowworms is mesmerising when viewed from the boat. First Class Experience.
Pukerooster
Ranking: 10/10
A tour well done by professionals , the walks are easy , my 7 year old had no problem. The guide Zane was fantastic , well informed , with a wealth of knowledge . The time flies . Groups aren't large , max 12 , so everyone gets a great view of everything .
Being a bit unsure of what to expect , this was perfect & all you need & more . Thanks so much for making my sons day & of course ourself . 5 Stars
Congratulations Spellbound Ltd
Linda
Ranking: 10/10
Our guide, Zane, shared his knowledge of the rich history on the region, its plants and animals, as well as descriptions of the formation and growth of the caves, the geology of the surrounding areas, the life cycle and behavior of glow worms, and much more. The walk into the glow-worm cave with was spectacular, and made more so during the magical boat ride that was like looking at the milky way at night - it was enchanting. Our tour of the dry cave with bones was different - kind of creepy but with very interesting information on the cave formation and stories that included the twice rescued cow. Zane's stories were educational, humorous, and entertaining. Our time passed too quickly. I thought this was one of the highlights of my trip to NZ. The caves as presented by Zane provided an experience that I will carry with me and share with friends.
T Alan Hatton
Ranking: 10/10
We were literally spell-bound by our Spellbound experience! From the moment we met our guide, Zane, we were entertained to a rich history lesson on the region, with descriptions of the formation and growth of the caves, the geology of the surrounding areas, the life cycle and behavior of glow worms, and much more. The ~20 minute bus ride through the magnificent countryside was a joy, the visit to the glow-worm cave with its the ride in the inflatable dinghy was spectacular, and the tour of a second, dry cave, very interesting, with a wealth of information on the various phenomena that drive the cave formation and growth as imparted by Zane that kept us enthralled. The 3+ hours passed all too quickly - this has to be one of the best tours of any kind that we have taken, and we attribute it to not only the call group size (there were only 11 of us), in keeping with the overall company philosophy, but also to the untiringly enthusiastic and knowledgable (and humorous!) Zane. If we could rate him higher than a '10', we would most certainly do so! We recommend Spellbound very highly indeed to anyone interested in having a truly exceptional experience visiting the glowworm caves in the Waitomo area.