We arrived in the
town of Te Anau on Tuesday, October 30 in time to take a late afternoon catamaran ride on Lake Te
Anau, the second largest lake in New Zealand. It was absolutely stunning!
Our destination was the glowworm
caves in Fiordland National Park, one of three UNESCO World Heritage Areas in New
Zealand. I knew nothing at all about glowworms, and certainly was unaware that
they are only found in Australia and New Zealand. So here’s what I learned…
Glowworms like to
live in moist, protected environments. The limestone network of caves in Fiordland
National Park is perfect for them because a river rushes through the caves
bringing with it the eggs of various insects that will hatch to provide the
glowworms with plenty of yummy food. The caves also shelter the worms
from wind and other elements.
Glowworms typically situate
themselves on the cave ceiling in nests made of silk they secrete. Then from their mouths
they exude a sticky, mucus-like substance which become “fishing lines” for
catching prey. As many as 70 fishing lines dangle from each glowworm’s nest as
it lays in wait and glows. The bioluminescent glow attracts unsuspecting flies,
moths, and other bugs. As soon as the glowworm feels the vibration of something
landing on one of their lines, the glowworm reels it in and eats it. The
hungrier the glowworms are, the brighter they glow!  |
| Fishlines |
 |
| Glowing tail |
After walking through the entry of the cave that was very dimly lit we headed deeper into the earth until we were guided to a small underground boat. Our guide then deftly guided our boat through the cave in total darkness. As I looked up, I thought I was seeing the Milky Way!
(Disclosure: We were
absolutely forbidden to take any photos in the cave, so the photos above are ones I found on line.)
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