I lean back in my kayak seat and quietly look around me. Thousands of tiny lights glide past me and shimmer in the darkness like a galaxy within an arm’s reach. I feel absolutely at peace and incredibly grateful to be able to experience this paradise so close to home.

Like a lot of people in New Zealand, we took advantage of the last long weekend until October, grabbed our caravan and ventured down to Matamata for 3 days. Lake Karapiro glow worm kayaking with Riverside Adventures (formerly Lake District Adventures) is our first post-lockdown adventure. Glow worm kayaking has been on my personal bucket list since I first learned that this is a thing.

Prepping to kayak at Riverside Adventure’s base

Just after 3pm we arrive at their base on Lake Karapiro, about 20 minutes from either Cambridge or Matamata, and do the sign-up procedure. Because we’re still in Covid Level 2 at this time, there’s an additional form to fill out for contact tracing if worse comes to worst. Tonight, we’re a group of 14 people. A surprisingly big group and it’s great to see people do want to go out, explore and support the local tourism operators!

We’re then handed our Winter kayaking outfit which Sally and Steve of LDA lovingly call the Minion outfit. Blue pants and a yellow jacket, both waterproof, as well as water shoes and warm socks as are handed out. I’m soon feeling very toasty despite the autumn weather.

Next up is learning to paddle a kayak. Having kayaked a fair few times myself (once even the same route on Lake Karapiro, just by daylight), it feels a bit redundant to me. But it helps to refresh my memory on the dos and dont’s.

Kayaking on Lake Karapiro

Once we got the dry-paddling down, we’re off to the lake. The kayaks are already waiting for us on the shore. Sally and Steve help everyone to get onto their kayak as dry as possible. 

A few hundred meters further down the lake, we learn that Lake Karapiro is one of many dams along the mighty Waikato River. The river was and is used to produce electricity and after Auckland decided they also wanted electricity from the river, it needed more and bigger dams, leading to some original towns being flooded. These flooded areas are now Lake Karapiro, Lake Arapuni and Lake Maraetai.

The more sheltered section, where houses have been submerged, is now home to an abundance of birds as well as a family of swans. Depending on the time of the year, better stay away from them as they can get very defensive and are not afraid of kayaks.

The Lake Karapiro glowworms aren’t located along the main body of the lake, though. They like a calm, humid environment as their living and hunting habitat. 

So, after a short while of kayaking on the lake, we turn into a sidearm called Pokaiwhenua Stream. This is where the magic slowly starts to reveal itself, where we pass the hidden gate to Jurassic times.

I’m not exaggerating. The canyon we enter is narrow, high and covered in dense moss. Water runs down the walls and drips in into the stream, fern trees tower above us. The canyon amazes me a second time around. And we know this is where the glowworms live, we just can’t see them yet as it’s not quite dark yet. I get excited thinking about our paddle back in darkness.

Halfway through the tour, we stop for a short break on a clearing while we wait for darkness to fall. Steve and the other guide serve a hot drink, some crackers and Pineapple Lumps.

They tell us all about glowworms, how they’re really pretty ugly maggots if you saw them in the daytime. We also learn that the glowing bit is what they use to attract mosquitos and other food is really their glowing poop. And even though I already knew how ugly they really are (the guides at the Waitomo Caves showed us), I’m amused how we find them pretty and romantic when they’re really quite the opposite.

The highlight at last: Lake Karapiro glow worms

In the meantime, the sky turned dark and we’re ready to finally see the glow worms! We get back into our kayaks and once everyone’s ready, Steve tells us to stay absolutely quiet until we’re back out on the lake. This way, we get to fully take in what’s around us. And because we’re going downstream, there’s no paddling involved, either.

So we just sit back in our kayaks and let a mystical world of darkness and light pass by us. Even though it’s the same canyon as before, it’s completely transformed. We are surrounded by darkness and thousands, if not millions of tiny lights, accompanied by a magical soundscape of water dripping into the stream. It’s exactly the mind-blowing, humbling experience I expected and the other people of the group seem to agree as no one makes a beep.

If you’re thinking of a Lake Karapiro glow worm kayaking tour with Riverside Adventures, I can only tell you, DO IT! It’s absolutely magical to float past the glowworms so closely and I promise you won’t regret it. Sally and Steve, the owners of LDA, are lovely and warm hosts and will make sure you’ll have everything you could need. And it’s not just me who loved it. Ask anyone in our little group, they all still raved about it the next day! 

A little Lake Karapiro glow worm kayaking FAQ

Do you need kayaking experience?

You don’t. As a matter of fact, we had a kayaking novice with us and she didn’t feel unsafe for a minute. The water is usually quite calm, there are hardly ever waves and the only thing that could be a little tough sometimes to paddle against is the wind while on the lake. As soon as you enter the stream, it’s totally calm.

Plus you get a paddling tutorial before you go on the water.

Will I get wet?

We stayed bone dry. There’s a chance of getting some water from the paddles splashed over you but that’s pretty much it. When it’s raining or cold, you get splash pants and a jacket to keep the water off you.

And unless you try to stand on your kayak or top it over on purpose, you’re not going to fall into the water. The sit-on-top kayaks are extremely stable. 

What should I wear for the tour?

In Autumn/Winter, I suggest a thermal shirt and fleece jacket and fast-drying pants (hiking pants or gym legging). Don’t forget to put on the provided woolly socks before putting on the water shoes. I did forget and regretted it dearly. My feet were freezing compared to the rest of my body.

Ideally, bring another top layer with you in the provided dry bag to put on during the break. It will help you stay warm. 

If it’s very cold, it might also be a good idea to bring a beanie and thin (and fast-drying) gloves. You’ll get a splash jacket, so you won’t have to bring your own rain jacket unless you really want to.

While you paddle, you’ll be warm. But the temperature in the canyon can feel quite a bit colder.

How do the Lake Karapiro Glowworms compare to the Waitomo Glowworm Cave?

Apart from the glow worms and being on a boat, I don’t think you can compare the two experiences but I’ll give it a try: Once key difference: The Waitomo Caves glow worms are, as the name suggests, in a cave while the Lake Karapiro glow worms aren’t. Even though there are thousands of Waikato glow worms on the Riverside Adventures tour, there are more in Waitomo’s main cave. However, the boat ride in Waitomo Cave lasts for about 5 minutes while you float past glow worms for about 20 minutes on Lake Karapiro.

Click here for our review of the Waitomo Caves

Where to stay after the glowworm kayaking tour?

At their base, Riverside Adventures have a beautiful B&B right on the water’s shore. The rooms are cosy with a lot of wood and water-themed wallpaper. You’ll be relaxed in no time.

Else, there is a range of accommodation in Matamata and Cambridge and Rotorua isn’t too far away, either.

Where can I book the glow worm tour?

If you’re thinking of making it a weekend getaways, I can only recommend booking Riverside Adventure’s Ultimate Waikato Weekender, where you get to explore the region on foot, bike, kayak and even jet boat! Plus you stay 2 nights in one of these gorgeous rooms right on the lake’s edge!

For more weekend getaways all over New Zealand, visit our sister website Weekend Getaways NZ.

What else is there to do nearby?

Well, for one there’s the famous Hobbiton Movie Set that’s only about a 15-minute drive from Lake Karapiro. The Waitomo Caves aren’t too far, either, and so is Hamilton Gardens. Have you thought of climbing the Wairere Falls? You should! 

For more information on awesome things to do in the Waikato, click here! 

Have you been glow worm kayaking before and where? How did you like it? Or is it on your bucket list now? Let me know in the comments below!