Glowworms, Hobbiton, Geysers and Kiwi

Saturday, January 6th was a busy day!  The 11 passengers and Robbie John, the guide/driver, left Auckland at 7:30 am on a comfortable 16-person Mercedes Benz van. After about three hours, our first stop was at Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, a limestone cave with an extensive underground network of tunnels and caverns.

 We began our descent into the cave via a very long, dimly lit spiral walkway. Margo got a bit dizzy from going round and round. As we entered the cave, we could hear the roar of subterranean waterfalls and a river that ran through the cave.

We were both more interested in hearing about glow worms than in seeing the stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and curtains, which we had seen before.  We had not – to our knowledge – seen glow worms.

Glow worms are not worms; they are the larvae of fungus gnats. This insect looks similar to mosquitos; when they reach maturity, they become flies.

Glow worms are called bioluminescent animals, which means that they create light through their tail with a process called bioluminescence. The process of a glowworm glowing happens from an enzyme reaction. This light at the end of their tail comes from an organ like a human’s kidneys. The light is used to attract small insects for food. And obviously to entertain humans who come to see them.

The glow worms were cool, but then we went to Hobbiton, the movie set for the Lord of the Rings trilogy (1999) and The Hobbit trilogy (2011).  The set is magnificent, and our guide was definitely from the Shire.  Her knowledge of the movie lines and her accents were quite convincing.

In September 1998, Peter Jackson was searching for a location for the film sites for Lord of the Wings; they flew over Russell Alexander’s 1,250-acre sheep and beef farm.  It was clear that this would be the perfect setting for Jackson’s adaptation of the classic works. 

The initial set was built as a temporary site in 1999.  Thirty-nine Hobbit Holes were created with untreated timber, ply, and polystyrene.  Thatch for the roofs of The Green Dragon Inn and The Mill were cut from brush around the Alexander farm.

After filming was complete, the rubbish was removed, and the set was left to return to its natural state.  Unfortunately for the Alexanders, the fact that the set was no longer on their property did not deter people from visiting Middle-Earth; they would constantly find people roaming around the land looking for key spots from the movie.

When the set was rebuilt for The Hobbit Trilogy in 2009, the Alexanders negotiated with Jackson that the set be designed as a permanent feature so fans of Middle Earth could visit it – and they could make money from interested people traipsing through their farm.

NOTE: Due to the enormous number of pictures we took at Hobbiton, I am using the Gallery feature, which means in many cases you’ll see one photo in the email. If you want to see the other associated picture, click on the link View Gallery.

Interesting side story: There is a very large, old tree – at least equal to Bilbo’s “eleventy-first” (111th) age. The Alexanders had hired someone to cut down the tree. The guy came and looked at the tree, gave the Alexanders a quote, and agreed on a date for him to return to do the job.  Alas, he never showed up.  Thus, the tree was still standing there – majestically from the hilltop – when Jackson and the film crew flew over the land.  As they tell the story, “That tree was what sold Jackson on the location.”

 As Gandalf says, “A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”  Margo’s translation is, “The right thing happens at the right time.” To relate all that to the story, the woodcutter did not cut down the tree so that Peter Jackson could find this farm and we could all enjoy the Shire.

After a 12-hour day on the bus and touring, we arrived at our hotel in Rotorua about 7:30 pm.  We dropped our bags off in our room and walked to the nearby, delicious Indian restaurant.

Margo took Sunday off while Mark went to Te Puia, over 70 hectares of land within the Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, dotted with hot springs, mud pools, and geysers. The area is the home of one of the Maori people. The Maori were the first residents of New Zealand and came from the Polynesian islands to the north. A local expert took us on a walk to learn about these geothermal wonders, including Pohutu, the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere. 

“Kiwi” has two meanings in New Zealand, and both are significant.  Kiwi fruit was first grown commercially in NZ in the 1930s and is now the top export crop, with exports worth $2.7 billion in the fiscal year 2020/2021.

The kiwi is also the national bird of New Zealand. There are five species of Kiwi birds in New Zealand; all are flightless, nocturnal, and rather cute.  Kiwis are stout birds, standing 1.5 to 2 feet tall, with females at 4.5 to 8.5 pounds, weighing more than males at 3 to 7 pounds. Today, the Kiwi population is declining by 2 percent per year.  The kiwi is classified as a \”vulnerable\” species, and various conservation efforts are in place to protect it, including predator control programs and the establishment of kiwi sanctuaries. We visited one of the breeding programs for the brown Kiwi at Te Puia.

New Zealanders are referred to as “kiwi” not from the fruit grown here but rather from the national bird.   During the First World War, the British, Australian, and New Zealander troops all fought together.  The New Zealand troops had a patch with a Kiwi bird on the shoulder of their uniforms; thus, the term “Kiwis” was used to refer to them. 

 The area is also a school for Maori children and a cultural center.  We walked to the Ahua Gallery and watched culturally significant Maori carving and weaving demonstrations.  The craft center is also a training facility for young students.  They showed us the required wood carving for first-year students.  The skill required for the intricate carving is beyond amazing.  After the gallery, we were treated to a traditional hangi feast cooked beneath the earth in traditional style.  The food was really good, and the whole group enjoyed the feast.

Tomorrow, we say goodbye to the very interesting city of Rotorua and drive on to Taupo, sitting on the shores of Lake Taupo – the largest lake in New Zealand. More to come!