Naracoorte Caves, SA: Which is the best cave tour?
Different tours at the Naracoorte Caves on South Australia’s Limestone Coast appeal to different people. Go to Stick-Tomato Cave for the best decorations, and Victoria Fossil Cave for 500,000 years of animal fossils.
The Naracoorte Caves in Naracoorte on the Limestone Coast are the only World Heritage site in South Australia. Unlike other Australian caves, it’s not the decorations that make the Naracoorte Caves special – it’s the fossil record.
Naracoorte Caves fossils
The caves have been pitfall traps and owl roosting sites for more than 500,000 years. Due to the animals that have fallen in and those brought in by owls, the Naracoorte Caves provide the most complete fossil record for this period. That fossil record covers numerous ice ages, the arrival of humans and the extinction of megafauna around 60,000 years ago.
Bones of marsupial lions, thylacines and sthenurine kangaroos are amongst the fossil deposits found in the caves.
Therefore, the Wonambi Fossil Centre is the must-see attraction, rather than any of the particular caves. This tells the story of how all the fossils accumulated, and why they’re so important.
Of the Naracoorte cave tours available, the Victoria Fossil Cave is the one that focuses on the animal bones. This is the cave where most of the important fossil finds have taken place.
Best Naracoorte Caves tours: Stick-Tomato Cave & Alexandra Cave
It’s not the most spectacular-looking of the Naracoorte Caves, however. That honour goes to Stick-Tomato Cave, which has two chambers and a liberal supply of speleothems. These are the mineral deposits that make stalagmites, stalactites and other cave decorations.
Stick-Tomato Cave has relatively few steps and is the best bet with small children, although Alexandra Cave is pretty good too. The tours here are more about the knowledge than the sights, however. They focus on the geological processes that shaped the caves.
Bats at Naracoorte Caves
The fourth cave open to visitors is Blanche Cave. This one is where the southern bent-wing bats hang out, and the tours are combined with a visit to the Bat Observation Centre.
Naracoorte Caves tour prices
Tour prices at the Naracoorte Caves depend on which specific caves you wish to visit. But, for example, a visit to Stick-Tomato Cave and the Wonambi Fossil Centre costs $10.50. For full prices and tour times, visit the caves website.
If you love your caves, the Tantanoola Caves are another fascinating option on the Limestone Coast. Elsewhere in Australia, you might want to try the Capricorn Caves near Rockhampton in Queensland, Jewel Cave in Deepdene, Western Australia and the Jenolan Caves near Oberon in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.
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