Wild Cave Tours
The “wild” caves of Mole Creek are famous for their beauty, attracting speleologists from interstate and overseas every year.
While licensed, commercial trips are available to some of the 400 known wild caves, most people visit the two “show” caves of Mole Creek, Marakoopa and King Solomans Cave.
The educational cave and karst field trips offered during the Forest Festival visit a wild cave in the beautiful Mole Creek valley karst setting under the Great Western Tiers.
Expert environmental interpretation includes explanation of why intact surface ecology and processes are vital to protect the recognised values of the caves. Many of those special values are inspected, and threatening catchment management practices are discussed.
How to take part? Place your name on the trip participant lists at the festival site. Transport is shared in private vehicles to save fuel and cost.
FAQs
Trips into the cave are graded “easy” and suitable for people who have never been caving before.
Minor disabilities may not be a problem, but please ask.
Caving helmets with fixed lights and specialist guides (members of the Australian Speleological Federation) are provided.
Children accompanied by their parent or guardian may be accepted onto a trip, but may not be allowed into certain parts of the cave for their own safety. Please understand that generally, karst caves are not safe places for children. Under expert supervision, your professional guide will offer rewarding experiences in a safer part of the cave for the accompanied children, returning to the surface before going further (if applicable) with the other adults.
Participants should bring their own lunch and drinks.
Non-caving participants who are interested in the landscape and discussion are welcome but can expect a wait of up to 2 hours in the National Park outside the cave for the duration of the caving trip. Bird watching is very good here, at the margin of the western highlands and farming land.