As you are already here, you may have experienced the beautiful scenery this park offers.
You may have seen the magnificent waterfall by the one-lane bridge down the road (It is magnificent at full flow, but offers some great swimming holes in low flow).
You may have come for a coffee or an ice-cream at the café.
You may have encountered the wildlife wandering through the park.
You may have brought the kids and visited Marshalls Farm Park.
You may have stopped lakeside to enjoy a picnic utilising the free gas barbeques.
You may have already found a few caches scattered amongst the park.
You may have discovered the camping sites with ablution facilities.
You may have brought a frisbee and tried the 18-hole (or 9-hole) Disc Golf Course.
You may have brought your kayak for a paddle on the lake.
You may have tried dipping into the cool lake for a swim.
You may have even waited until dark and discovered the glow-worms dotted alongside the bush covered walking tracks.
As you can see, there is plenty to do while you are here.
So, while you are here, why don’t you pitch your tent, hire a kayak and enjoy a BBQ dinner while you wait until dusk and paddle up the lake to GZ to experience the magnificent glow-worms lining the narrow vertical walled canyon.
You will need to enter the park before closing time when the gate is locked, however the exit gate is automatic, so you can leave the park after dark.
This is the fine print:
- The park opening hours
Winter: 7.30am – 5.30pm - when daylight saving ends
Summer: 7.30am – 7.30pm - when daylight saving starts
- There is a small fee to camp here.
- Lifejackets are essential under NZ law while kayaking.
- Kayaks may be able to be hired on site, or you could join a local guided tour for the full experience.
- Bring a good torch but turn it off to experience the glow-worms. Let your eyes adjust to the dark.
- You will struggle to take photos of the glow-worms and using a flash will ruin the experience.
- Please stay safe.
- The park roads can be confusing as many are one-way only. Maps of the park are posted at the carparking areas.
For more information and a PDF map, visit this site McLaren Falls.
The Rules:
To log this cache, you need to prove to me that you have visited the listed coords at GZ in the dark. This place can only be reached by kayak. You must message me the answer to these questions, but not reveal the answers in your online log.
- How many windows are on the south face of the power station building (facing GZ and the Glow-worm grotto)?
- What is unusual about the windows.
- Approximately how high are the window sills from the water line.
You may log your find before I confirm your answers, but if I feel you have not visited this as intended, I reserve the right to remove your log.
Please use your torch sparingly and be respectful of anyone on the guided tours – they have paid a lot of money for this experience. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
I am honoured to have been awarded this Virtual Reward. I have considered many places to locate this, but I really wanted to keep this close to home. I put a lot of thought into this, as I do all my caches and I really wanted to create an experience in line with the rest of my caches. I do hope you reward me with a good online log about your experience and of course with your Favorite points.