Down to Earth - Waitomo Eco Cave Tours

12/06/2026

FAQ #23: Can we park our camper overnight in your car park?

Sadly, no — our car park is strictly for cave adventures, not sleepovers.

We’re not permitted to allow overnight parking or camping on site. We know that can be a bit tricky, especially if you’re joining us for an afternoon tour, so nearby options we suggest are:

🚐 Oparure Crag - River Bends Camping Ground
🏕️ Waitomo TOP 10 Holiday Park

You can also check apps like CamperMate, as there are nearby farm stays or private parking options in the area too.

Thanks for understanding.

If you’ve visited us and stayed somewhere close by that you’d recommend, please let us know in the comments. Thank you!

09/06/2026

✨ Not all glowworm caves are the same…

At Down to Earth, we like to do things a little differently.

Our tours are small-group, off-the-beaten-track adventures through a private family-owned cave system in Waitomo. No big crowds, no concrete paths, no handrails — just real cave exploring, glowworms, limestone formations, stream walking, and a whole lot of “wow”.

You’re welcome to bring your phone to take photos, and our guides will also take free photos along the way so you can actually enjoy the moment too.

If you’re looking for a more personal, natural and adventurous Waitomo experience, this one’s for you.

🌿 Small groups
📸 Phones welcome
✨ Glowworms
🥾 Real adventure caving
🦺 Safety certified

Do Waitomo differently.

02/06/2026

Check out our latest blog!

Guess who’s back… back again? Our High Tour!

Some of you may remember that back in the old BC days (before covid) we used to run our High Tour as a handy option when the rain decided to go a bit wild. Then Covid happened, visitor numbers dropped, and the High Tour went into hibernation.

But now visitor numbers are back, and Mother Nature has been playing havoc with our rain gauge, so we’ve brought it back!

We’re super excited to once again offer a heavy-rain alternative for those days when our standard route isn’t a safe option.

Check out our blog, and if you have any questions, just ask!

When water levels rise, our High Route Tour offers a safe and unforgettable Waitomo cave adventure with glowworms and stunning formations.

02/06/2026

23/05/2026

We always love reading what our guests take away from the experience ✨

“Down to Earth is really what it is. Nice family running it and warm welcome. Definitely recommend this tour.”

Reviews like this mean so much to our little family-run business. We know there are lots of ways to see glowworms in Waitomo, so when people choose to come off the beaten track with us — and then take the time to share such kind words — we’re genuinely grateful.

Thank you to everyone who has visited, reviewed, recommended us, or told a friend about our cave tour. It really does make a big difference. 🌿

20/05/2026

A big shout-out and thank you to the awesome team at Rotorua Canopy Tours 🌿

Yesterday the team at Down to Earth went up instead of down for the day — and what an adventure it was!

It was so good to experience another nature-based tourism operation doing amazing things for conservation, storytelling, and visitor experience. We loved seeing the forest from a completely different angle and came away feeling inspired.

If you’re planning on travelling in the Rotorua area, make sure you check out the awesome mahi these guys are doing.

Thanks again for having us, Rotorua Canopy Tours — we had an absolute blast!

Check out a few photos from our day in the canopy. 🌳✨

11/05/2026

Caving is only one part of what we do here. 🌱

We’ve started sharing more of our conservation mahi over on our other page: Pākehō Crag Restoration Project 🌿

This page is a little different from Down to Earth. It’s less about caving tours and more about what happens above the cave — pest control, native tree planting, forest regeneration, waterway protection, and all the behind-the-scenes work that helps care for this special karst landscape.

The word Pākehō is the name of the area our land is in. The word itself translates to “limestone”, which feels very fitting for a project looking after the land above a cave system.

It all ties together because healthy caves depend on healthy surface catchments. What happens on the land above affects the water, the cave system, the glowworms, and the wider ecosystem below.

So if you’re interested in the conservation side of what we do — the muddy, messy, hopeful work of restoring native bush and protecting biodiversity — feel free to follow along over there.

Thanks for supporting our little patch of Waitomo, both above and below ground. 🌿✨

11/05/2026

Fun times in the cave over the past month! ✨

We’ve had lots of awesome visitors getting muddy, exploring our private cave, and enjoying the glowworms.

Here are a few photos from some of our recent caving adventures — thanks to everyone who came adventuring with us! 🌿🪱💛

07/05/2026

We’re so excited to share that we’ll soon be planting our next lot of native trees to add to the forest we’re creating here at Down to Earth 🌱

Covid hit us hard and brought our conservation work to a sudden stop. It has taken time to recover, but we’re finally back into action and ready to keep going.

Our plan is to plant more than 6,000 native trees, adding to the thousands already in the ground and helping grow a forest that will be here for generations to come.

Since we began extending our forest in 2017, we’ve already noticed a real difference in both the birdlife and the glowworms. Alongside ongoing pest control, it’s amazing to see the hard work starting to pay off.

We’re incredibly excited about what’s ahead, and so grateful to everyone who joins us on tour. Every visit helps make this possible, with profits from the business going straight back into caring for the land.

So truly — thank you. You are helping make a real difference to our forest restoration project, and we think that’s pretty special 💚
www.glowing.co.nz