

However, if you don’t plan on visiting the North Island, you can still witness incredible numbers at places like Hokitika and the Te Anau glow worm cave. A trip to New Zealand isn’t complete unless you visit somewhere like Spellbound, Waitomo or Waipu Caves, as they are truly mesmerising. Not only are they convenient as you don’t need to wait until night time to see them, but they tend to be the places where glow worms are found in the largest numbers. Of all the places you can see glow worms, few environments can rival the sheer spectacle of caves. Colonies will grow in number in the summer and drop in the winter, primarily because of the amount of food available. It is worth noting that glow worm numbers change throughout the year.

In places covered in moss like the Minnehaha Walk in Fox Glacier, you can even find glow worms on the trees at night.

This is why a lot of New Zealand’s forests are the perfect habitat. The key to finding glow worms is the environment - they prefer areas that are always wet or damp and are away from direct sunlight. New Zealand is one of the few countries where glow worms exist and they are prolific across both the North and South Island. A brief intro to Glow Worms in New Zealand
