Waitomo | |
|---|---|
 The entrance to a cave in the Waitomo area | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 38°15′38.34″S 175°06′12.02″E / 38.2606500°S 175.1033389°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato region |
| District | Waitomo District |
| Ward | Waitomo Rural Ward |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Waitomo District Council |
| • Regional council | Waikato Regional Council |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Area code | 07 |
Waitomo is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred in the village to serve visiting tourists.
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".[1] The caves are formed in Oligocene limestone.[2]
The historic Waitomo Caves Hotel is located in Waitomo Caves village.[3]
- ^ "Waitomo Caves". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
- ^ "The Geological History of New Zealand". Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ "Search the List | Waitomo Hotel | Heritage New Zealand". www.heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 4 August 2021.