If you’re looking for a fun and educational activity to do with the family on the Limestone Coast (SA), Naracoorte Caves is a great option! Our recent trip there was a hit with everyone, even though it started out a little rocky (literally – Harvey fell into a puddle as soon as we arrived).
Naracoorte Caves at a glance:
- Cafe/toilet faclites
- Cost: Caves require tickets
- Walks/trails
- Caves are not suitable fro prams/wheelchairs (there are steep stairs in and out)
- Playground
- Camping (not dog friendly)
- Adventure caving experiences available
- 1 hour from Mount Gambier (check out our other posts about Mount Gambier)
The caves are definitely something special – it’s like stepping into a whole new world! They are home to an amazing variety of fossils, including some of Australia’s oldest and most complete megafauna fossils. The caves also stay at a steady 17 degrees year round making it a perfect rainy day activity.
The Alexandra Cave tour was fantastic ($48 for all of us) – our guide was so knowledgeable and really made the experience enjoyable for everyone. The stalactites and stalagmites are incredible, and it’s hard to believe they’re thousands of years old. Eddie loved using the guide’s torch to shine light into all the nooks and crannies.
While there we also did the Stick-tomato cave (guess why its called this!) – which was a bit more toddler friendly for Harvey as he could walk around and we didn’t have to be as careful. Whilst there we were joined by Eddie’s other personality “Tour Guide Eddie”. And we enjoyed a very informative (but also very false) history lessons about the cave’s.
The interactive experience at the information center was also lots of fun. Both the boys loved crawling through the cave – even Beno gave it a go (I was so worried he’d get stuck)!
All in all, it was a great rainy day activity for the whole family!
Other resources:
- Adventure caving
- Explore SA
- Above ground walks at Naracoorte Caves
- Also check out our other posts for activities around the area!
