SECRETS OF THE DARK
14 JANUARY 2024
Glowing Bum Cuties
New Zealand is known for its glowworms (amongst other things), and you may have heard of the most popular spot, the Waitomo Caves in the North Island, where you can take a boat ride through the cave and stare in wonder at the amazing glowing bums above your head. We have a unique environment and diverse ecosystem here that allows these glowing bum cuties to thrive.
We have explored caves and tunnels all over New Zealand and it's amazing how many glowworms there are all over the country! There are places you can see the glowworms during the day, like in the Abbey Caves and Waipu Caves in Northland, because the deeper the cave, the darker it is (obvs) and other times there are places where you can see the glowworm threads out in the open and won't see any glow till it's pitch black.
The Glowworm Dell in Hokitika on the West Coast region of New Zealand is the perfect example of that (and pretty much any rainforest on the West Coast!) as well as the Elvy Waterfall Track in Marlborough, where we saw loads of beautiful threads against the banks.
We visited the Glowworm Dell at 10pm, around 1.5 hours after sunset, and it was BUSY! It was a weekend night (and a long weekend) but we weren't prepared for it to be this packed. Earlier that day, we had made friends with another family on Hokitika Beach, where we roasted marshmallows on the fire and all the girls played for hours (best memories!) on the beach and the shipwreck and when they said that they were heading to the Glowworm Dell after the beach, we said "us too!" and we all went to the dell together.
We used our phone lights as little as possible because it can disturb the glowworms and cause them to dull their light but we did get a few grumpy people telling us to turn the nights off... but calm ya farm, we need to be able to see where we're going!
The glowworms in the dell were AMAZING!! I was shocked with how many there were, as there never seemed to be this many in any of the caves and tunnels we have explored. It was like being in our own little galaxy, with tiny blue stars surrounding us. There are fences surrounding the dell, so people keep their sticky little fingers away from the glowworms and their threads but you are still very close to them. We walked up and down the dell for about 30-minutes before we decided it was proooobably time to head home and get the girls to bed (it ended up being 11pm before they went to sleep!).
The next day, I went back during the daylight hours as I wanted to gather my bearings on the place. It's hard to paint a picture of the place if you only see it in the dark and I was really surprised at how high the banks were and how close to the glowworms we actually were. It's a 2-minute walk through the dell to see the threads in the daylight if you haven't see them before and it's quite a pretty walk with unique looking trees along either side of the path.
We have explored caves and tunnels all over New Zealand and it's amazing how many glowworms there are all over the country! There are places you can see the glowworms during the day, like in the Abbey Caves and Waipu Caves in Northland, because the deeper the cave, the darker it is (obvs) and other times there are places where you can see the glowworm threads out in the open and won't see any glow till it's pitch black.
The Glowworm Dell in Hokitika on the West Coast region of New Zealand is the perfect example of that (and pretty much any rainforest on the West Coast!) as well as the Elvy Waterfall Track in Marlborough, where we saw loads of beautiful threads against the banks.
We visited the Glowworm Dell at 10pm, around 1.5 hours after sunset, and it was BUSY! It was a weekend night (and a long weekend) but we weren't prepared for it to be this packed. Earlier that day, we had made friends with another family on Hokitika Beach, where we roasted marshmallows on the fire and all the girls played for hours (best memories!) on the beach and the shipwreck and when they said that they were heading to the Glowworm Dell after the beach, we said "us too!" and we all went to the dell together.
We used our phone lights as little as possible because it can disturb the glowworms and cause them to dull their light but we did get a few grumpy people telling us to turn the nights off... but calm ya farm, we need to be able to see where we're going!
The glowworms in the dell were AMAZING!! I was shocked with how many there were, as there never seemed to be this many in any of the caves and tunnels we have explored. It was like being in our own little galaxy, with tiny blue stars surrounding us. There are fences surrounding the dell, so people keep their sticky little fingers away from the glowworms and their threads but you are still very close to them. We walked up and down the dell for about 30-minutes before we decided it was proooobably time to head home and get the girls to bed (it ended up being 11pm before they went to sleep!).
The next day, I went back during the daylight hours as I wanted to gather my bearings on the place. It's hard to paint a picture of the place if you only see it in the dark and I was really surprised at how high the banks were and how close to the glowworms we actually were. It's a 2-minute walk through the dell to see the threads in the daylight if you haven't see them before and it's quite a pretty walk with unique looking trees along either side of the path.
The glowworms are a lot brighter than this, but it's all my phone camera could pick up!
Tiny Blue Stars
There are so many photos online that have an absolutely unrealistic image of what glowworms actually look like with the naked eye! Lots of people set their camera to a long exposure, meaning the camera is open for 5 minutes (for example) before it takes a photo, so it lets in a lot of light and the glowworms look like someone has thrown a whole lot of giant, blue glitter pieces onto the cave roof, plus the photos show light that isn't even in the cave, so it makes it look like the glowworms actually light up the cave. As a photographer, I completely understand why photographers do this (I did it myself with the photos below from the Waipu Caves, with a 1-minute exposure, so I could see the glowworms better and again, this is an unrealistic shot of what they look like with the naked eye), so I want you to have a realistic expectation of what you will be seeing.
In saying all that, it is TRULY an incredible experience and the luminescent threads create a mesmerizing spectacle, akin to being surrounded by a galaxy of tiny blue stars.
I wanted to take my tripod and get some shots in at the Glowworm Dell, but it was so late by the time we decided to go there and I didn't have time to go back and get it. It was so busy anyway, I'm sure the tripod legs would have just got in the way!
The photos below that were taken during the day are from the Elvy Waterfall Track in Marlborough, where we found sooo many in hidden in the banks!
In saying all that, it is TRULY an incredible experience and the luminescent threads create a mesmerizing spectacle, akin to being surrounded by a galaxy of tiny blue stars.
I wanted to take my tripod and get some shots in at the Glowworm Dell, but it was so late by the time we decided to go there and I didn't have time to go back and get it. It was so busy anyway, I'm sure the tripod legs would have just got in the way!
The photos below that were taken during the day are from the Elvy Waterfall Track in Marlborough, where we found sooo many in hidden in the banks!
Know Before You Go
- This a very popular tourist spot it and it can get very busy in peak season (Nov - Feb)
- Try not to use your torch too much so that the glowworms can shine brightly (and you don't annoy visitors trying to enjoy the glowing bums)
- This is a free attraction!
- Go when it's pitch black, you'll see the glowworms a lot better than if there is still some light (at least 1 - 1.5 hours after sunset)
- Don't touch the glowworm threads... don't be that person
- The dell is only a minute from the carpark
How To Get To The Glowworm Dell in Hokitika
The Glowworm Dell is 1-minte north of Hokitika town and 30-mins south of Greymouth. The dell is on State Highway 6 and is well sign posted.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
Imagine stepping into a magical wonderland that showcases a dazzling display of glowworms, turning the West Coast rainforest into a scene straight out of a fairy tale with tiny blue stars. Sure, it gets a bit busy sometimes, but getting there from the carpark is a breeze. It really is an unforgettable experience and perfect for the whole family (as long as you can stay awake long enough zzzzz)
More to do in New Zealand
CAREW CREEK FALLS
WEST COAST Hike 2kms return through lush forest to see the incredible 30m high Carew Falls, near Lake Brunner on the West Coast of NZ.
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KEA POINT TRACK
CANTERBURY Discover the hidden gems of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on the 1-hour Kea Point Track. You won't be disappointed!
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PETERS POOL
WEST COAST On a clear and still day, Peters Pool offers the most incredible reflections of the mountains and it's even better when there's snow!
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