Ruakuri Cave - photos

Ruakuri Walkway	Stalactites	Stalactites	Ruakuri Entrance
Small Stalactites	Stalactites	Ruakuri Rocks	Calcium Carbonate
Ruakuri Walkway	Ruakuri Cavern	Cave Wall	Protected Stalactite
Ruakuri Entrance	Dogtooth Spar	Warning Sign	Ruakuri Entrance
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About Ruakuri Cave

Ruakuri Cave is the longest cave in the Waitomo Caves system. A tour of the cave takes around 2 hours allowing for photo stops and information onroute. The walkway and access to Ruakuri Cave is impressive and is the only cave in the Southern Hemispehere with wheelchair access.

Ruakuri Cave first opened to the public in 1904, but closed in 1988 due to a legal dispute over ownership. It reopened in 2005 once the dispute was settled, and has remained open to the public ever since.

Entrance to the cave is via an impressive spiral pathway that descends deep underground. The cave features the usual stalactites and stalagmites, but also has a river running through allowing for rafting. There are many carverns and even a verticle shaft, but the presence of fossils and some historical artifacts adds to the cave's interesting history.

You can see glowworms here, but they don't compare to the glowworm grotto in the separate and more popular Waitomo Glowworm Cave.