Wombeyan Caves

The Wombeyan Caves are limestone caves in the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve. These caves were the first cave system in Australia, which was placed under protection in 1865.

Location

The caves are located 176 km south-west of Sydney and about 50 kilometers north of Goulburn in the east of the Australian state of New South Wales. You can access them via the Wombeyan Caves Road, the eastern end of the Old Hume Highway Mittagong and whose western end is at Richlands on the Goulburn -Oberon Road. The caves are located closer to the western end of the road in a karst area of limestone, in the 345 -acre Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve.

Discovery history

The field of Wombeyan Caves was known to the Aborigines long before the European colonization and the name of the caves go back to it. For example, means Wombeyan grassy valley between mountains (English: grassy valley between mountains ). The caves were discovered by Europeans in 1828 during the expedition of John Oxley and John Macarthur, who sought pastures. 1842 explored the pastor Denning was the first European to Fig Tree Cave. 1865 Charles Chalker explored the cave system more closely and discovered nine major caves, including Basin Cave, Tinted Cave, Glass Cave, Forest Cave Creek, Guineacor Cave and Grants Cave. Many of these caves are not open to the public. According to this research, it was declared a nature reserve, the first reserve of limestone caves in Australia. 1932 was the first electrification of caves.

Tourism

Already in 1865, a written Tourist Guide was written about the caves. In the area of the caves the first guest house was built in 1889, which was extended in 1900. This building burned down in 1934. In 1960 a building for the administrator of the conservation area, in 1960 a post office, a kiosk 1954, 1956 a tennis court in 1956 and 1960 Weatherproof buildings for campers and day-trippers was built in 1960.

The caves are a tourist attraction, a recreation area for people and a refuge for endangered species, such as some types of wallabies, birds, possums and wombats.

At the caves, there are quite a few tent sites, a kiosk, a public telephone, cooking facilities and other facilities. A park ranger station is located at one of the tents. The duties of the rangers are charging the fee for the tents, the protection of visitors from wild animals, protection of local flora and fauna, answering questions of the guests and the tracking of complaints.

One of the caves is the Victoria Arch, which is very popular due to its proximity to the campground, another Fig Tree Cave, which you can see in the photo above. The Wollondilly Cave, the Mulwaree Cave and the Cave Kooringa are other caves in the area.

Also running in the nearby stream, waterfalls and several smaller caves in the vast forest areas of the region like to visit.

While there are strict rules about contact between man and wild animals, but they are nevertheless increasingly tame. Several species of birds, mainly magpies and Hirtenmainas, often come into direct contact with visitors often come close to less than 30 cm and beg for food off the table of the campers. The numerous kangaroo earths are more and more trustful, coming to within a few meters of the campground approach and show no fear. Visitors will find this funny for the most part, but the long-term effects on the animals' behavior but give cause for concern.

Several groups of cavers from New South Wales visit the Caves Wombeyan regularly. You do different, approved by the authorities expeditions into the caves.