63 and free

Our second stop was at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Turns out they aren’t worms; they are maggots with web-like threads hanging out of their mouths. The threads hang down about 6″ to a foot, and catch bugs that are attracted to the bioluminescence they create in the pitch-black dark. They look like stars in the sky.

We had never seen anything like it. Truly unique to this part of the world. Understandably cameras are forbidden, so I can only supply images from the web.

The life-cycle of these critters is quite something. Google if interested!