Nikau Cave

Nikau Cave in the beautiful Waikaretu Valley is unspoiled and less than 1.5 hours drive southwest of Auckland. The cave has thousands of glow worms and amazing formations, but no crowds. An expedition through the 1km cave with an experienced guide takes about 90 minutes and requires crawling 10 metres and some wetness but rewards you with a memorable experience.

Most of the cave is open and spacious and a wide variety of stalactites and stalagmites can be seen including giant pillars, fine straws and flowing shawls. The glow worms and their dewy threads may be studied up close.

A tour through Nikau Cave is personal and unhurried. Great for birthdays, social clubs, team-building exercises and wet days.

The cave environment is fragile and visitors must help preserve this special place by taking great care not to touch and damage formations or glow worms. If crawling puts you off, you can enter and exit the same entrance, set deep in native bush, and still enjoy most of what the cave has to offer.