I am always asked by my guests, “how did you find this place?” Well, I tell them, I just came here in the day and thought this is a good spot for glow worms, then came back at night and I was right. But there is a bit more to it than that.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere and have always had an aversion to using torches. I’m a big believer in letting your night vision take over. If the sky is clear and the canopy isn’t too dense, your eyes will adjust and you’ll be amazed by how much you can see without artificial light.
That’s how I discovered that glowworms are everywhere in New Zealand, not just in caves like Waitomo, but also throughout our forests and bush from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island.

If you want to find them yourself, glowworms love a sheltered damp wall, or nook. Think of a shaded riverbank, stream edge or anywhere with a steady moisture source. If you’re camping near a creek, look for little sheltered banks or rock faces.
If wandering around without a torch isn’t your thing, use a red light. It’s almost invisible to most nocturnal creatures, so instead of announcing yourself with a blinding headlamp, you blend into the night. In fact, if you are wandering around with a white light torch you can forget getting the full experience, not only are you blinding yourself with the white light, but you are also rudely intruding on the night time rhythm of the forest.

With a red light and quiet steps, you’ll start to hear the forest come alive. The Ruru calling (our small but mighty native owl), rustling Weka, even Kiwi in some reserves. If you’re lucky, one might wander close, because to them, you’re invisible in your red light cloak. Believe me, I have had it happen plenty of times. 

Look for a headlamp or torch with a red-light mode and high lumens so you can still see the forest floor safely. These will set you back 50 NZD.  Once you’ve got your light sorted, start exploring the riverbanks or damp gullies. Stay on the track!

One of my favourite places to find glowworms isn’t by water or caves at all, it’s inside rotted-out tree logs. When a giant tree falls and starts to hollow out, it creates the perfect home for glowworms. Peering into a decaying log to see their soft blue lights twinkling inside feels like stepping into a fairy tale. A rare site, but worth checking those big fallen boys none the less. 
New Zealand forests are generally safe to explore at night, but don’t confuse us with Australia! She’s a different beast! So, enjoy yourself while in Aotearoa on your adventures.

I was genuinely sad when I learned that glowworms are found only in New Zealand and a small part of Australia. If everyone were exposed to their magic in the forest, maybe we would have more raving environmentalists in the world protecting our native landscapes.