Your host’s Bob and Mary Redpath will make every endeavour to ensure your time spent on our farm is a memorable & enjoyable experience. Wairata Station is a vast peaceful mountainous wilderness within reach of New Zealand’s main centre, Auckland. Wairata Station is a large hill country farm ranging from lush river flats up to towering open peaks. The station runs over 400 head of Angus cattle and 1500 Perendale sheep.
'Arachnocampa luminosa' - this glow worm is unique to New Zealand and requires a special habitat to survive. There are numerous sites to view glow worms, many just a few steps from the homestead.
The New Zealand glow worm is one of many creatures that naturally produce light (bioluminescence). The light is the result of a chemical reaction that involves several components: luciferin, a waste product; luciferase, the enzyme that acts upon luciferin; ATP, adenosine triphosphate, the energy molecule; and oxygen. These combined form an electronically excited product capable of emitting a blue-green light.
The light is used to attract insects, brought into the cave in the rivers, which the glow worm catches and eats. If a glow-worm is hungry its light will shine a little brighter and is even more effective. When the female glow worm reaches the adult stage the light is used to attract males for mating.
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Glow Worms - $5 per person
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Wairata Station
Wairata, Opotiki, New Zealand
Phone and Fax: +64 (0)7 315 7761
Email: mary@wairatastation.com