Exploring the Limestone Coast
As part of my trip to Penola and the Limestone Coast, I visited its other major attraction, the Naracoorte Caves National Park. I can remember visiting one of the caves as a child, but haven't been since.
The caves are now a World Heritage site, the only World Heritage site in South Australia. (I can add it to my collection of World Heritage sites I have visited!)
From my childhood visit all I could remember was visiting a large cave, the whole complex is much larger. There are 28 known caves in the National Park and four are open to visitors. Which ones you visit will depend on whether you want to do a self-guided tour or whether you want to take a guided tour. There is also the fossil centre to visit, as well as a cafe, open for lunch.
Coming from Adelaide the caves can be found south of the town of Naracoorte, if coming from Mt Gambier the caves are before you enter Naracoorte. It's well sign posted from the main highway and then follow the signs to the entrance of the National Park.
Entrance to the park is free and so is parking, there's ample parking. The costs involved are if you want to visit the Wonambi Fossil Centre and whichever cave you want to enter. There's a children's playground and paved walking trails for those who don't want to go down into the caves or have mobility issues.
At the main entrance to the visitors' area you are greeted by this prehistoric figure. As seen behind him there's a picnic area, as well as a campsite if you want to stay in the park.
I was quite impressed by the whole area, it was all nicely landscaped and it was very easy to find everything. I didn't have a lot of time so ended up choosing to take a self-guided tour of the Stick-Tomato cave. The Alexandra Cave is the one I'm pretty sure I saw as a child, it's the biggest one open to visitors and was first opened in 1908. (And named after the British queen of the time) Another cave, now called Blanche Cave was the first one discovered by Europeans in 1845 and the locals even held candle-lit New Year's dinners in that cave during the 1870s.
As you enter the cave, natural light comes into the first part of the cave. Walking further in, then artificial light takes over, the lights are sensor lights and so will switch on as you move through the caves. There's a clearly marked pathway to follow.
The Naracoorte Caves National Park should be a must see destination on any itinerary to the Limestone Coast. I would add though, that an hour is not long enough to spend there. (Learn from my mistake!) It's especially true if you're interested in fossils, the cave area has a treasure trove of fossils due to years of animals falling down into the cave and their bones being fossilised. The Stick-Tomato cave was interesting to view, but I think perhaps a guided visit to the Alexandra Cave would be worth doing. There are guided tours, twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. (I just remember being very impressed as a child!)
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