Off the Beaten Track - Waitomo

The charming old hotels that ushered in New Zealand’s grand age of travel are disappearing fast but, luckily, The Waitomo Caves Hotel still stands as early 20th century tourist accommodation icon.
 
Opened in 1908, she’s a venerable old lady – well-reserved and still impressive. Her façade is an intriguing mix of Victorian, colonial, Spanish Mission and Cape Dutch architecture, and her turreted tower, ornate balustrades and high entrance are particularly striking at dusk, when rows of lights outline her majestic shape, silhouetted against a glowing night sky.
 

 
Outside the gracious hotel lies a neatly manicured lawn, where high society once gathered to deftly guide croquet balls through hoops. Today, the circular lawn and rose beds guide guests to the grand hotel entrance way. The sweeping staircases remain, as does the architectural detailing, ornate furniture, Bulgarian chandeliers and large fireplaces.
 
Admirable too, are the roomy lounge and bar (now with big-screen TV) and the warm, inviting bedrooms with their double-hung windows open to the fresh country air. In the hotel’s heyday, royalty, movie moguls and superstars stayed regularly. Back then, it was a mission just to arrive at all. Part of the essential “Grand Waitomo experience” involved days of travel on rough roads by horse and carriage.
 
The Queen and Prince Philip were guests here during the 1953-54  state visit and their royal seal of approval made the hotel a desirable destination for many years afterwards.
 
Affluent travellers of the day would arrive by train from Auckland in time for an afternoon tea of smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches. They would then rest an hour before cocktails – followed by dinner in the Fred Mace Room. This particular room has a tragic aspect to its history.
 
Many years ago the four-year-old daughter of a staff member used to visit. One night, she wandered into the kitchen and pulled a pot of hot cooking oil onto herself. She then staggered into the Fred Mace Room and died. A few years ago, the hotel brought in a medium who saw a vision of dining tables and a little girl running up and down looking for her mother. This sad saga continues with periodic sighting of a ghostly apparition.
 
 
 
Waitomo is a physically fascinating area – a combination of two truly different worlds. One is the dark hidden world of the Waitomo, Aranui and Ruakuri Caves with their silent mysterious streams and crystal galleries. The other is the distinctive karst landscape of pancake-layered limestone outcrops, disappearing rivers and soaring natural bridges.
 
Thanks to those little bright sparks, the glow-worms, it’s possible to view star-studded skies below the ground. You can choose to remain in the timeless world on the surface or descend into the depths to see “what lies beneath”.
 
Adventure operators now offer around 20 different caving trips catering for all levels of fitness and exploration. There are gentle walks through Ruakuri Cave or you can try a much more precipitous abseiling descent into the labyrinth.
 
Top-side activities now cover an equally diverse range, from jet-boat sprints to horse treks to overnight tramps.
 
The beauty of Waitomo lies in its elegant and unspoilt nature. Waitomo offers unique Kiwi experiences – plus the chance to relax in the pampered luxury and privacy of a charming old-world hotel.