John Kidde Writes

Fire AND Water, you say? Well, slap me around and call me Susan.

There’s been quite a bit of walking around and doing things in the last few posts, so I am switching it up today. I’m making it more sedentary. Quite frankly, my legs were sore by the end of this entire trip, if I’m to be honest with you dear reader. I relished the quiet moments and I think you will too.

To start it off, let’s get it hot in here.

My partner and I are invested in the Netflix reality competition show Blown Away. If you don’t know, it’s a glass-blowing competition show. It might not sound exciting but it is! You would be amazed at how resilient, malleable, and (obviously) fragile glass can be. The vision of each contestant coming to fruition is fun to watch.

Anyway, we were out driving and when we were close to Lake Taupo we passed a spot that advertised itself as a glass-blowing studio and shop. We filed that away for later and when we were circling back, we made sure to drop in to Lava Glass Studio.

Tucked behind a shop door, after paying a reasonable entry fee, is the studio itself. Here we watched one of the local artisans (literally – he said he walks to the studio) work on several pieces. While we were sitting there, we chatted with him about his life and the work he does while also sharing what we were up to. While we were watching, we could feel the intense heat from the furnace each time the artist, Chris, opened the furnace doors. It was intense!

Naturally, he mentioned that a fair number of people have been coming through the studio because of the Netflix show. It was fun to see and learn more about this art form. He also informed us that the studio we were in was 100% sustainable and carbon neutral. That’s [expletive deleted] impressive!

Usually, they tell you that you don’t want to see how the “sausage is made” because it’s a nasty process. Not this. We were amazed at the finesse, skill, and artistry on display in front of us. Watching hot, molten glass turn into a new shape before your eyes is mesmerizing and impressive. This is an activity that all can and should participate in.

Now it’s time to get wet.

Okay, not literally. It was a bit rainy on the day we visited but beyond that, you won’t get wet if you go. Or you shouldn’t get wet. You’d have to fall into the water to get wet-wet. Enough talk about moisture levels, it’s time to enter the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves.

Located south of Hamilton and northwest of Lake Taupo, are the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. It’s a bit off the main road but it’s well-traveled and worth it in every regard. I mean, I wouldn’t write about it if it wasn’t worth it.

Please note that photos were not allowed while in the caves so I am going to describe as best as I can what I saw.

The tour took us underground to see some truly magnificent natural structures. I’m talking stalactites and stalagmites growing every which way that they are allowed, creating cool as hell rock formations.

After being taken on a short walking tour of the caves (which are themselves impressive), we were ferried into a darker corner of the cave and into a long metal row boat that was operated like a Venetian gondola. The guide pushed us along the water using a large wooden pole that dug into the riverbed.

With the near-total absence of light, we witnessed the ethereal glow from the glow worms hanging on the ceiling of the caves. Every so often a tiny droplet would fall on us, reminding us that it was real. The gentle rocking of the boat and the silence from the other visitors transported us to another place. It felt alien to be in the dark only to find illumination from such small creatures. It was, simply put, beautiful.

Yeahhhh, that’s not a real photo from inside the caves. We were in front of a green screen. I went full cheese for my pose. I probably should’ve told my partner the same. SMDH.

Well, that’s it for today. Thank you for visiting and I will see you next week!