Editing Waitomo (section)

{{about|the settlement and community|the wider territorial authority district|Waitomo District}}
{{short description|Settlement in Waikato, New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name=Waitomo
|image_skyline=Image:Waitomo Cave Entrance n.jpg
|image_alt=Photograph of cave entrance
|caption=The entrance to a cave in the Waitomo area
|population_total = 
|population_as_of = 
|image_map = {{infobox mapframe|coord={{coord|38|15|38|S|175|06|12|E}}|zoom=9}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = [[New Zealand]]
|subdivision_type1 = Region
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name1 = [[Waikato]] region
|subdivision_name2 = [[Waitomo District]]
|subdivision_type3 = Ward
|subdivision_name3 = Waitomo Rural Ward
|leader_title = Territorial Authority
|leader_name = [[Waitomo District Council]]
|leader_title1 = Regional council
|leader_name1 = [[Waikato Regional Council]]
|leader_title2= [[Mayor of Waitomo]]
|leader_name2 = {{NZ officeholder data|Waitomo District Mayor|y}}
|leader_title3= [[Taranaki-King Country|Taranaki-King Country MP]]
|leader_name3 = {{NZ officeholder data|Taranaki-King Country MP|y}}
|leader_title4= [[Hauraki-Waikato|Hauraki-Waikato MP]]
|leader_name4 = {{NZ officeholder data|Hauraki-Waikato MP|y}}
|seat_type    = [[New Zealand electorates|Electorates]]
|seat         = {{ubl|[[Taranaki-King Country]]|[[Te Tai Hauāuru]] ([[Māori electorates|Māori]])}}
|postal_code_type=Postcode
|timezone=[[Time in New Zealand|NZST]]
|utc_offset=+12
|timezone_DST=NZDT
|utc_offset_DST=+13
|postal_code=
|area_code=07
|coordinates = {{coord|38|15|38.34|S|175|06|12.02|E|display=title}}
}}
'''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 attraction]]s. 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".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/W/WaitomoCaves/WaitomoCaves/en|title=Waitomo Caves|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966)]]}}</ref> The caves are formed in [[Oligocene]] [[limestone]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Geological History of New Zealand|url=http://ncealevel2sci.wikispaces.com/Geology|access-date=16 May 2014}}</ref>

The historic [[Waitomo Caves Hotel]] is located in Waitomo Caves village.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search the List {{!}} Waitomo Hotel {{!}} Heritage New Zealand|url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/4176|access-date=2021-08-04|website=www.heritage.org.nz}}</ref>