What is the name of the famous glowworm cave system in the Waikato region of New Zealand?

The famous glowworm cave system in New Zealand’s Waikato region is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

The attraction’s central cave is officially known as Waitomo Glowworm Cave, or Waitomo Cave. It lies in the limestone country of the North Island, near the settlement of Waitomo. Visitors travel through chambers and finish with a quiet boat ride beneath the Glowworm Grotto, where the ceiling appears to be filled with blue-green stars.

The glow comes from Arachnocampa luminosa, a fungus gnat species native to New Zealand. During their larval stage, these insects produce light and hang sticky feeding threads from the cave roof. Their glow attracts small flying prey, which becomes trapped in the threads.

Local Māori knowledge of the cave predates tourism. Tane Tinorau and Fred Mace explored it by raft in 1887, and the cave opened to visitors in 1889. “Waitomo” comes from Māori words commonly translated as “water” and “hole” or “shaft.” The wider Waitomo area contains many cave systems, but the famous boat-and-glowworm experience identifies the Waitomo Glowworm Cave specifically.