There's more to Waitomo than the caves

Everyone has heard about the Glowworm Caves in Waitomo and yet most people wouldn't realise there is more to see in this little corner of New Zealand and all within a half-hour radius.

MAROKOPA FALLS

With three attractions to see on this road, I went to the last one first. 30kms up the road from the Waitomo Caves is Marokopa Falls. An incredible force of water, you can hear these falls a few minutes before you reach them and then you’re impressed with the show that Mother Nature puts on.

The falls which greet you at the bottom of the stairs

It’s an easy walk through the bush that only takes 5-10 minutes to get to the lookout and only a couple of sets of stairs.

An easy walk amongst the native trees with a great view at the end

Well worth the drive and walk.

PIRIPIRI CAVE WAITOMO

A couple of kilometres back towards Waitomo from Marokopa Falls, the Piripiri Cave is another easy track although there are a lot of stairs in this 5-minute walk.

The track with the first set of stairs at the end

You come across the cave suddenly when the track seems to end and find the entrance just on your right. There are more stairs down into the darkness and it is very dark.

This photo was taken on automatic with flash, something I almost never do. It was so dark I couldn't see anything and the camera could only just see the rock below to focus on.

A great place to visit as we don't have that many caves this accessible.

MANGAPOHUE NATURAL BRIDGE WAITOMO

The last stop on the way back to Waitomo is at Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

Once again a very easy walk and this one also has picnic tables for you to enjoy lunch or a snack.

The boardwalk and Suspension Bridge across to the Natural Bridge

Once you cross the bridge and turn the corner you are transported to another world which the camera does not do justice to as it is so big.

The view from the lookout looking back a the entrance. This piece of roof is all that remains of a huge cave that is now a gorge

You don't have to go back the same way as this has a loop track. It cuts through farmland so please keep to the track and you will have about three stiles to climb over.

The stairs leading down from Natural Bridge to the loop track

The second half of the track takes about 10-minutes to get back to the carpark but is a great walk as it's so different from the walk in.

KIWI HOUSE OTOROHANGA

Just 12 minutes up the road towards Hamilton from Waitomo, the Kiwi House at Otorohanga is a great place to see New Zealand's native wildlife up close.

The Keruru or New Zealand Pigeon

Keeper talks about Kiwi, Kea, Kaka, Kakariki and eels happen throughout the day. It's a small park to walk around but you can see endangered New Zealand wildlife and walk through a large aviary with birds flying freely. A great place for kids to see and learn all about our local wildlife.

The endangered Whio (blue duck)

THE ED HILLARY WALKWAY IN OTOROHANGA

The Ed Hillary Walkway on the main street of Otorohanga tells the story of New Zealand through the ages.

The entrance to the walkway

History of New Zealand, who invented the Pavlova, inventions and so much Kiwiana, it's a great place to learn or reminisce about what New Zealand looked like in years gone by.

Bridal Veil Falls

A bit further afield is Bridal Veil Falls. Just under an hour and a half drive, the falls are one of the highlights of the area.

With three lookouts there is something for everyone. The first lookout is on the top of the falls looking straight down. The second is just a bit further along just before you start going down to the base of the falls.