How old is the Waitomo Hotel?

Waitomo Caves Hotel
Country New Zealand
Coordinates 38.26103°S 175.10658°E
Construction started 1908
Renovated 1928

Why is waitomo hotel closed?

The doors of the Waitomo Caves Hotel remain closed as the Waitomo District Council demands a clean bill of health for the landmark building. The hotel has been closed since May 15, after the trust was given 24 hours to ensure the hotel’s sprinkler system, which the fire service deemed unsafe, was up to standard.

What is the population of Waitomo Caves?

around 500 people
Waitomo Caves village has a population of around 500 people (Waitomo Caves Museum Society 1994) and an estimated tourist population of around 450 000 international visitors per annum, most of whom visit the Waitomo Glowworm Cave (NZTB 1996).

What city is waitomo?

Waitomo, limestone caves, north-central North Island, New Zealand. They lie about 50 miles (80 km) south of Hamilton. Located on a tributary of the Waipa River, the caves are easily accessible for tourists by road.

How did Waitomo get its name?

The word Waitomo comes from the Māori language: wai meaning water and tomo meaning a doline or sinkhole; it can thus be translated to be “water passing through a hole”. The caves are formed in Oligocene limestone.

What is Waitomo known for?

Waitomo is a world-renowned destination and one of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions. Famous for its high population of glowworms, but there is so much more to it than that! As a region, Waitomo has built its reputation on the sheer beauty and scale of its subterranean landscape.

How did waitomo get its name?

When was waitomo discovered?

The caves were first explored in 1887 by local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau accompanied by an English surveyor Fred Mace. Local Maori people knew of the caves existence, but the subterranean caverns had never been extensively explored until Fred and Tane went to investigate.

When was Waitomo discovered?

What type of cave is the Waitomo?

limestone caves
Geological and volcanic activity has created around 300 known limestone caves in the Waitomo region over the last 30 million years. The limestone formation in the Waitomo Glowworm Caves occurred when the region was still under the ocean about 30 million years ago.

Why is Waitomo Caves famous?

Famous for their abundance of glow worms, extensive underground river system and stunning stalactite and stalagmites formations, a trip to the Waitomo caves is a trip to another world.