Rotorua artificial glowworm ‘cave’ tourist attraction opens at Redwoods

The Herald has previously reported how the cave was to be made from a combination of real and artificial rocks, with a unique secret material so that glowworms are able to live there.

It features rock formations, cascading waterfalls and a 15C-18C operating environment.

Thackwray said the attraction was a 75m-long rock tunnel, cooled to emulate a natural cave.

“Realistic water features within help mitigate temperature and humidity. A 30sq m dome within the tunnel houses a very dense self-sustainable glowworm colony which visitors can view from a steel bridge, suspended above a pool of reflecting water.”

Guides tell visitors about the life cycle of the glowworm.

“This is one of the few places that you are able to see a glowworm up close during all life-cycle stages. The cave is proving very popular amongst domestic and international visitors and the feedback has been really positive,” Thackwray said.

She also told the Herald about the inspiration for the venture, with a second scheme now consented for a location near Queenstown.

“The idea came about when Topher and I were in Queenstown for lockdown. We were working with National Geographic and BBC on creating a televised series highlighting unique habitat loss in different regions of the planet."

One of the areas of focus for the couple was the glowworm habitats of New Zealand, which can often be impacted by human encroachment.

“The idea of creating a purpose-built cave open to the public was inspired by the Chauvet and Lascaux Caves in France which were created to protect prehistoric cave art,” she said.

The couple had consulted with and worked with university professors, conservation specialists, film industry and set designers including Weta Workshop, sculptural engineers and material experts in Asia and the United States, she said.

“Our first challenge was understanding the glowworm. We built a lab near Waikato University where we worked with the biology department and students to learn about the glowworm and its lifecycle and behaviours.

“Building a glowworm cave sounds easy but it really isn’t. We spent years developing a biomimetic material, working with engineers both in New Zealand and abroad,” Thackwray said.

She outlined a timeline of progress for their business:

Last week, the Herald reported Judge John Hassan, in chambers in the Environment Court, allowed the couple’s company, Faraway Entertainment, to establish a second cave on Gorge Rd near Queenstown.

Commissioners for the Queenstown Lakes District Council had declined their application for land use and subdivision consent to build and operate that cave.

Richwhite and Thackwray challenged the decision, saying there were errors in it, and appealed it.

But the couple, who were once detained in Iran, also changed aspects of their original scheme to get it across the line.

“Since the appeal was filed, the appellant amended its proposal and provided a revised set of conditions,” the Environment Court decision said.

The couple agreed to:

Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.