Down to Earth - Waitomo Eco Cave Tours

13/05/2024

Check out these photos capturing May so far! From gorgeous warm days to frosty mornings and chilly toes, we've experienced it all. Huge thanks to all our visitors who've made May memorable so far! 📷☀️

10/05/2024

Frequently asked question #9: What do I need to bring on the tour?

Nothing! We will provide clothing, boots, helmet, and lights. All you need to bring is a sense of humour and adventure, and we will be good to go! After the tour, we provide a hot drink, cookie, and a good old Kiwi chat. Here is a picture of some past happy customers warming up their toes after the tour, enjoying a cuppa, and making new friends.

08/05/2024

🌟 Winter Wonderland Alert! 🌟 Snag some cool savings with our Winter Special! Use the code "winterspecial" when booking your glowworm caving tour between May and October 2024, and score $20 off per person! ❄️ Don't miss out on this frosty deal! Book now at www.glowing.co.nz for an unforgettable adventure in our private caving experience and small group tours. Let's make your winter glow! ✨

Tripadvisor rated #1 glow worm cave tour in Waitomo. Avoid the crowds, explore untouched caves on our family farm. Cameras welcome.

25/04/2024

Frequently asked question #4: Will we get wet on the tour? Um, maybe just a little. But never fear, we provide all the fashionable outfits along with the gumboots. So, after the tour, you can change into your own nice, dry clothes and be on your way. www.glowing.co.nz

18/04/2024

Ready for an adventure off the beaten track? Join our small family-run business for a glowworm cave tour like no other! ✨

We love showing our new friends from all over the world around our backyard! Check out these photos from over the past week.

Explore the hidden gems of our farm's caves in a small group setting away from the crowds. Visit www.glowing.co.nz to reserve your spot now and let the adventure begin!

12/04/2024

Check out these fantastic photos we've snapped over the past few weeks! We're so thankful to have experienced these incredible moments with our new friends, and we're excited for more adventures ahead.

Join us in discovering the wonders of Waitomo, where around every turn is another amazing wonder of nature. www.glowing.co.nz

19/03/2024

A big thank you to all our wonderful past customers for sharing your experiences with the world!

Your reviews are like gold nuggets for future adventurers planning their visit to the Waitomo District. Did you know we're the smallest family-run operation in the area? We cater to just 12 visitors a day, ensuring each one gets a VIP experience. While other companies handle hundreds, we're proud to keep things cozy and personal.

And guess what? We're still rocking the number one spot on Tripadvisor! Cheers to more GLOWING adventures together!

06/03/2024

Did you ever wonder what food is a must-try while you travel around New Zealand? Or what tasty treats are unique to Kiwi culture? 🥝 Look no further!

The awesome team at New Zealand Travel Tips have cooked up the perfect blog to answer these burning questions! 🍴

Check out their article "21 New Zealand Foods You Have to Try! Ka pai Kiwi kai" for the ultimate foodie adventure:
https://nztraveltips.com/new-zealand-food/ Bon appétit!

This is the ultimate list of New Zealand food you have to try whist travelling in Aotearoa. Written by a food-loving Kiwi, just for you!

05/03/2024

Welcome, March! 🌼 As we step into a new month, the team at Down to Earth - Waitomo Eco Cave Tours are excited for the adventures that lie ahead. March brings with it the promise of warm days and meeting new underground friends.

We are fully booked this week but we do have some spaces available next week if you are looking for a 5-star adventure!
www.glowing.co.nz

Here are some pics of the March adventures so far!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

26/02/2024

A shout out to our amazing Ops Manager/Best Tour Guide ever …. Ash!

We think he is pretty choice 👍 and the latest 3 reviews in the last 3 days seem to agree!
Rock on with the adventures Ash 🪨✨❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Marley 27.02.24
We absolutely LOVED our experience at Down to Earth. Ash (our guide) could not have made it any better! He is so personable, funny, knowledgeable, and he cannot hide that he loves what he does. We enjoyed having a small group (just 6 of us) to explore the caves with plenty of time and learn along the way. Ash even took great photos for every guest multiple times! I highly recommend this tour and would give it 10 stars if I could!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Max Brown 26.02.24
Ash was wonderful. Definitely request him as the Tour guide. The caves and property is beautiful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Rama J 25.02.24
When we booked this tour, we had to rearrange our schedule since the original date we wanted was full and we were so glad we did! Ash was our guide and he was the best! He made everyone feel at ease and was so warm & welcoming. It was truly a unique experience and the photos were a huge bonus! The outfits were fun and the tea/coffee and cookies afterwards were a really nice touch. We highly recommend this tour!!!!

21/02/2024

February is well underway, with sunny days spent in the company of lovely people! March and April are booking up quickly, so make sure to secure your spot early to avoid missing out. ☀️❤️✨

12/02/2024

The staff here at Down to Earth are Kiwis born and bred.

We were lucky to grow up exploring this beautiful country we call home. We may be a little biased, but we think New Zealand is pretty choice.

Everyday we get asked by our guests for our top tips on where to eat, stay and explore.

We love sharing our local knowledge, so we asked our staff to review some of their favourite spots that are within a 2-3 hour drive from Waitomo (we had to draw a line there or we’d go on and on all day!).

To find out more https://www.glowing.co.nz/favourite-places/
Photo credit - Hairy Feet Waitomo

28/01/2024

We just received this lovely email from one of our customers.

“Thank you so so much for everything this week Ash!! Bethany and I had the best time. It was unlike anything either of us have ever done. It was beautiful, challenging, exhilarating, and just AMAZING!!! And ... THE PHOTOS ... you say you're not a photographer?! Agree to disagree 😊. They were incredible! I have zero clue how you took such amazing shots in the glowworm area! Fantastic, sir.

Thanks again for everything! Hope our paths cross again one day.

Best regards
Aaron”

18/01/2024

🌿 We are forever grateful for views like these.

Take a moment today to appreciate the vibrant colours, soothing sounds, and the feeling of the earth beneath your feet. 🌍💚
www.glowing.co.nz

01/01/2024

Happy New Year! 🎉 Welcoming 2024 with sunshine vibes and crossing our fingers for a bunch more sunny days ahead!

Our schedule is packed this week, but guess what? A whole group just canceled their booking on the morning of January 6th! 🌟 So, if you're up for some fun, snap up your spot at www.glowing.co.nz.

Check out these snapshots from our latest adventures - just a taste of the good times we're serving up! 📸

27/12/2023

Got plans for January 2nd? 🎉 We just had an unexpected opening for our 1 pm tour with 6 available spots! Our calendar’s packed until January 9th, so seize the chance and secure your spot at www.glowing.co.nz. Let’s turn this cancellation into your next adventure! 🌟

Tripadvisor rated #1 glow worm cave tour in Waitomo. Avoid the crowds, explore untouched caves on our family farm. Cameras welcome.

26/12/2023

Our family tree is back where it belongs after our unexpected recent renos! 🔨 🏠 For more information on our story and how we got to own this little piece of amazingness here in beautiful Waitomo … Check out our website: https://www.glowing.co.nz/about-us/

26/12/2023

Merry Christmas! We are taking a quick 2-day break and will reopen on the 27th. If you have any enquiries please email [email protected]

20/12/2023

Repairing the family tree today + Christmas treats with new friends ❤️🎄

11/12/2023

A big thank you to our mum, who lives just up the road, for delivering this delightful basket of Christmas treats for our customers today. She’s always there to lend a hand, our biggest fan, and surprisingly unbiased! 😄 Appreciate everything, Mum. - Fran x

28/11/2023

Wow thank you Jamie! Firstly for choosing to visit us here at Down to Earth - Waitomo Eco Cave Tours and secondly for taking the time out of your busy day to write us this AMAZING recommendation! Much appreciated.

Review posted on Trip Advisor on 25 November 2023.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ THIS is the team to glow worm with!! Family run, small group!

I can't say enough good things about this experience, an absolute highlight of our NZ trip. THIS IS THE COMPANY TO BOOK WITH - please research competitors and realize that Down to Earth is a very small, family run business that operates tours in an intimate way. Others offer a simple walk on a paved path or a boat ride through a single cave - this is not that!! We spent time walking through rivers, exploring cave systems and learning about the history of the land, all before getting to the worms.

Our group of only 6 was led by Ash - a legendary guide who was passionate about the environment, focused on safety, a great photographer and above all, treated us as if he was giving a personal tour to family. We loved our time spent with him, and because of the atmosphere he created, even made friends with our fellow cavers!

We felt so taken care of, even at times where the caving got a little intense for some of us with mild claustrophobia (hi). The grand reveal of the glow worms felt like a hard won triumph, a real moment of serenity to sit in the darkness with these lovely creatures.

Don't stress about what to wear or what to bring; they provide a full outfit for you including boots (which WILL fill with water no matter how hard you try to avoid it), leggings & fleece jackets, and you can't bring anything but maybe your cell phone (at your own risk).

Thank you as well to Michelle who was a lovely and gracious host upon arrival and return.

Reviewed by jamiedB1072AV

22/11/2023

Exploring the wonders of Waitomo!

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for an unforgettable experience!

01/11/2023

Can you believe October is over? 📆 Where did that month go? We can't wrap our heads around the fact that it's November already! 😱

Before we dive into this new month, let's take a look back at the fantastic memories we made in October. 📷 We had an absolute blast meeting awesome new friends from every corner of the globe. 🌍 Huge thanks to all of you for choosing to explore our backyard. We hope your adventures here were glowing!

19/10/2023

Big shoutout to Mandy for being a part of our recent glowworm adventure! 🌟✨ We were thrilled to receive the fantastic short film capturing her experience. It's not just an adventure; it's a story, and you've shared it beautifully. Thank you for lighting up our day! 🎥🌌

Most people go see the glow worms in the World famous caves in the town of Wiatomo but we did something different … “Down to Earth” are a family who just hap...

18/10/2023

Our calendar has been getting a glow-up with a flood of bookings over the past few weeks! 🌟 Many days in December and January are already completely sold out! Secure your spot ahead of time today if you want to join in on the excitement.

Hurry, because we expect to be fully booked during this period! Let the silly season begin! 🎉

03/10/2023

✨ Guess who just got a bit of spotlight in the latest Waikato NZ Tourism Case Study? Spoiler alert: It's us – Down to Earth! 🌿

The case study is a focus on the Waitomo District, where we've all been cooking up some serious fun in the world of sustainable tourism!

From epic glowworm tours to turning our family farm into a forest wonderland, we spilled all the beans on how we're making magic happen for you and Mother Earth! 🌏🌳

Click the link below to read more about our Tiaki adventures in sustainability! 🎉📚

👉https://www.waikatonz.com/media/7445/down-to-earth-tiaki-in-waitomo.pdf 🌟🍃 Waikato NZ

29/09/2023

FAQ: What is different about Down to Earth Eco tours compared to other tours in Waitomo?

🐑 Well, for starters, Down to Earth is run from our own private farm land.

☀️ We are the smallest of the 5 cave tour companies here in the Waitomo area.

👍 It's all about that personal touch with us – our tours are all about small, intimate groups of eight or less.

✨ The caves on our farm are unmodified – no fancy paths or electric lights, just as nature intended, which equals adventure!

♻️ Sustainability is our middle name – we're dead serious about it. And we've got a super exciting long-term plan to turn our land into native forest.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Our reviews still blow our mind! Consistent 5 star reviews from all our amazing past visitors since 2015. Thanks again guys!

So, yeah, we're not your run-of-the-mill tour outfit, and that's what makes us pretty darn special. ❤️👍🌳😎 ✨ ♻️

25/09/2023

Did you know that we are dead serious about doing our bit for Mother Nature here at Down to Earth? Check out what we've been up to:

🌳 Forest Restoration: Since 2018, for every awesome customer who's dropped by, we've planted a native tree. Yep, that's right, you're helping us grow an actually real life forest!

🌍 Carbon Footprint: We're stoked to say that we're keeping our carbon footprint on the down-low. We keep tabs on all the CO2 stuff we emit in our day-to-day operations.

💧River Guardians: We've put up some fences to protect our precious waterways. Clean water = happy vibes!

🐦 Pest Control: Our trapping program is a hit! The native bush and birdlife are doing their happy dances thanks to us. Talk about making new bird friends!

🚫 No to Single-Use Plastic: If you're passing by with an empty water bottle, stop in and say hi. We've got fresh, filtered tap water to fill 'er up, free of charge.

22/09/2023

A huge shoutout to Rob May Builders for swooping in and tackling some much-needed work in the office here at Down to Earth, after a few other building companies left us hanging. We hope the boys had a blast taking a breather and exploring our neck of the woods. Those striped tights? Next minute you’ll be setting a new trend on the construction site! Looking good, guys! 🛠️🌿😄

19/09/2023

Today we said goodbye to our much loved family tree wall. 😞 So sad! Painted by one of our first seasonal staff members Carly, who was visiting from the UK, back in 2016. Of all the walls in the whole house there was a leak behind that one. Hopefully once the repairs are done we can find an artist to paint it back for us. 🌳👨‍👩‍👦‍👦🤞