Abbey Caves
Maps
Photos
Information
Abbey Caves
Three Caves. Lots of Glowworms!
A choice of three different caves. The Organ Cave is the largest. The Middle Cave and Ivy Cave are smaller. All are worth a look and each have lots of glowworms.
Bring your torch and be prepared to get wet!
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
|---|---|---|
|
Location |
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei |
|
|
Categories |
|
|
|
Directions To Coordinates |
||
|
Coordinates |
Caving
Scenic Attractions
Nearby
Reviews
-
4.5/5
Great short circle walk!
You can explore three caves with a lot of glowworms. It is worth to wear good shoes, then you can go deeper inside and climb. The last cave was the best, you can walk through it and get out on the other side. But there is deep water to cross!!!
-
5.0/5
Great fun!
Recommend you do Middle Cave (ankle deep), then Organ Cave (knee deep) and finally Ivy Cave (waist deep). Whole trip took 2.5hours. Saw loads of glow worms and a few eel. If you climb out of the end of Ivy Cave head left to get back onto path.
-
4.5/5
Great to be able to visit the caves without paying for a tour.
You do need torches and you will have to wade through water but the atmosphere, rocks and glowworms are worth it.
-
-
4.5/5
Three caves that you can explore by yourself with a lot of glowworms.
Do not be afraid to get wet and try to find the other way out. Bring your torch, but do not shine your light on the glowworms, they are against it.
-
4.5/5
I have done the free cave and that was really exciting.
The first called the Organ Cave was the best.
-
-
5.0/5
It is quite hard to get into the caves because you really have to climb down in to the caves.
Shoes and lights are especially recommended. The glowworms are amazing! Just really beautiful and you got to see quite a lot of them.
-
4.5/5
Awesome caves for exploring and viewing glowworms.
There are no man made walkways - some climbing is necessary and you go through water. Unfortunately it is a quite popular cave.
-
5.0/5
Amazing three caves, good walking down boulders and a lot of glowworms!
And it is free! Great alternative to the big packed caves with tourists.
-
5.0/5
I have seen glowworms in there!
They are for free and one can walk into three different caves! It is much better to experience it by yourself and not with heaps of people at Waitomo!
-
4.5/5
Great short circle walk!
You can explore three caves with a lot of glowworms. It is worth to wear good shoes, then you can go deeper inside and climb. The last cave was the best, you can walk through it and get out on the other side. But there is deep water to cross!!!
-
4.5/5
Great to be able to visit the caves without paying for a tour.
You do need torches and you will have to wade through water but the atmosphere, rocks and glowworms are worth it.
-
5.0/5
Great fun!
Recommend you do Middle Cave (ankle deep), then Organ Cave (knee deep) and finally Ivy Cave (waist deep). Whole trip took 2.5hours. Saw loads of glow worms and a few eel. If you climb out of the end of Ivy Cave head left to get back onto path.
-
-
4.5/5
Three caves that you can explore by yourself with a lot of glowworms.
Do not be afraid to get wet and try to find the other way out. Bring your torch, but do not shine your light on the glowworms, they are against it.
-
5.0/5
Amazing three caves, good walking down boulders and a lot of glowworms!
And it is free! Great alternative to the big packed caves with tourists.
-
4.5/5
I have done the free cave and that was really exciting.
The first called the Organ Cave was the best.
-
-
4.5/5
Awesome caves for exploring and viewing glowworms.
There are no man made walkways - some climbing is necessary and you go through water. Unfortunately it is a quite popular cave.
-
5.0/5
It is quite hard to get into the caves because you really have to climb down in to the caves.
Shoes and lights are especially recommended. The glowworms are amazing! Just really beautiful and you got to see quite a lot of them.
-
5.0/5
I have seen glowworms in there!
They are for free and one can walk into three different caves! It is much better to experience it by yourself and not with heaps of people at Waitomo!
-
-
5.0/5
We had been warned that we would become wet, however had not expected to walk through hip deep water in the Abbey Caves.
It still was an amazing experience and great alternative to the expensive Wiatomo Caves.
-
5.0/5
Amazing caves that can be explored by yourself.
Hiking, scrambling, getting wet, glowworms. Don't miss out.
-
5.0/5
Doing an exploration on our own of the Abbey Caves - fantastic atmosphere in the dark caves.
You need a head lamp and water shoes.
-
4.0/5
Abbey Caves were good fun - definitely adventurous!
Wear sensible shoes as there is a lot of climbing over slippery surfaces - limited glowworms - if you do not want adventure the Waipu Caves are much more accessible for children and a whole ceiling of beautiful glowing worms!
-
4.5/5
Great experience to see glowworms and big caves, but dangerous and slippery and high water levels.
-
5.0/5
FREE.
Bring shoes you do not mind getting wet and a head torch and you will have great fun! Thousands of glowworms and stalagmites and stalagtites. The water can be nearly waist high at some points and it can be a bit claustrophobic at times but totally amazing experience and FREE!
-
-
5.0/5
This was fantastic.
For free and adventurous walk through three caves. A little bit spooky when you are on your own. Bring a friend and a headlamp.
-
5.0/5
These awesome caves (with many glowworms) to visit on your own with a torch or headlight.
-
5.0/5
Free caving experience, exciting to be able to go by yourself and see the caves.
Also glowworms and eels to be seen.
-
-
5.0/5
Amazing, we loved the last cave Ivy.
And you can see the glow worms for free. We got wet until the neck before taking out of the last cave. Unbelievable!
-
4.5/5
Really cool but it is left natural, so it is a bit challenging at some parts.
But you can see glowworms.
-
5.0/5
Take a good torch or better headlamp and climb into the cave and join the glowworms by yourself!
-
5.0/5
Completely in the dark, just with a torch you can feel on your own.
You walk slowly to discover this cave and see glowworms. It is really the adventure. Be prepared to be wet.
-
-
5.0/5
Great walking and experience working every day of the year, tour got out just on time.
Guide was knowledgable of the cave and was really interesting. Worms were lovely.
-
3.5/5
3 caves to discover the glowworms.
You just need a light and a good pair of shoes. The first cave is a little bit dangerous when you have water up to the abdomen.
