Naracoorte Caves National Park: A day out filled with family fun
Naracoorte Cave National Park is on Meintangk Country.
Naracoorte Caves National Park is a day out your family will remember and talk about for years! It’s a must-see on any tour of South Australia’s Limestone Coast, with something for everyone to enjoy.
With guided tours, walking trails, an educational centre, nature playground, café and ample space for the kids to run around, what more could you want for a perfect family day out?
The park is just 10 minutes from the wonderfully kid-friendly town of Naracoorte and 1.5 hours from beautiful beach-side Robe.
As South Australia’s only World Heritage Listed site, the Naracoorte Caves National Park is definitely a bucket-list worthy addition to any road-trip between Melbourne and Adelaide.
Read the whole post for an information-packed guide to the park or use the menu below to skip to the sections you need for planning your next little or big adventure.
Caves and tours
I recommend booking into at least one cave tour with the highly-knowledgeable guides.
I’ve toured the caves first as a reluctant teenager, then with friends as a young adult and then again, with groups of young kids as a teacher. Some tours I’ve taken many, many times. Each time is worthwhile, and I learn something new.
My husband has his own great experiences of adventure caving as a young teen during his Scout days. We still have the framed photographs of the delicate caves structures that he captured during those trips.
If you’re interested in photography, capturing the caves in the low, artificial light is an interesting challenge.
Travelling with children? You may like to chat about what they can expect when walking through the caves. Setting expectations early can be helpful.
Some children can feel nervous about cave tours, even if they are also excited. If any of your group are feeling nervous about the tour, chat to the tour guide. They’ll do what they can to help put them at ease.
Ideas for talking about tours with kids:
“These caves are underground”
“Some of the cave will be very dark”
“There are lights where we will be standing”
“A tour guide will tell us about the cave”
“Its okay to ask the tour guide questions”
“We need to walk with the tour guide/tour group”
“Sometimes we might need to take turns to see parts of the cave”
“We need to be safe by staying on the path”
Victoria Fossil Cave
The Victoria Fossil Cave has one of the most important fossil records in the world, earning the park its heritage-listed status and is one of five caves visitors can explore.
With a guide, you’ll get a glimpse at fossil dig sites and an excellent explanation of the natural history of the area dating back tens of thousands of years.
The Victoria Fossil Cave is an excellent match with the Wonambi Fossil Centre, learning about Megafauna and what the landscape may have looked like when these creatures lived in the Naracoorte area.
Alexandra Cave
Alexandra Cave is beautiful with delicate structures that are well worth a look – it’s my favourite of the caves to explore. This cave provides the greatest opportunity for unique photographs.
The structures are complemented by a great talk about how caves are formed and continuously shaped over the years.
Blanche cave and bat tour
Alternatively, book into the Bat Tour to learn more about the Southern Bent-Wing bat and it’s important colony in the Blanche Cave.
You’ll observe the bats via video and then tour the cave which has it’s own distinct features.
I’ve taken several groups of kids through each of the caves and the tour guides do a wonderful job of answering all questions and really taking the time to explain things well to children. I really appreciated the patience and genuine interest shown in the kids – especially when I had 15 of them with me!
Stick-tomato cave
The Stick Tomato Cave is the only cave accessible without a guided tour in the Naracoorte Caves National Park. It has about 20 steps down into the cave – my advice would be to wear sturdy footwear, especially in wet weather or if carrying small children.
This cave is a lovely introduction for kids and adults alike and has two chambers, one of which is open to the sky. It is spacious and well-lit with an automatic lighting system and plenty of daylight throughout. This could be a great option for someone feeling anxious about going underground.
It’s an easy walk through the cave so some children will understandably want to rush through. Many kids love getting to ‘the end’ of something like a cave.
However I’ve found most kids will walk the cave several times and take in a little more each lap. I encourage you to allow the time for kids to explore and take notice of the details in the cave.
Adventure caving
Adventure Caving is suitable for complete beginners through to experienced cavers. I was lucky enough to join a group of kids on the novice caving tour and it was a lot of fun!
The guides were confident and offered gentle encouragement to create the best experience for everyone. There are some tight squeezes to try, but each challenge has a walk-around too.
Children will need to 8 years+ for the novice caving and at least 12 years old for the advanced option.
Wonambi Fossil Centre
I still remember visiting Wonambi Fossil Centre as a kid! As an adult, the centre seems a little tired and less exciting but having since taken several groups of enthusiastic kids here - it hasn’t lost it’s charm for young ones!
A highlight for smaller children is the kid-size tunnels to navigate between displays. Some of the large animals, sound and lighting effects may scare very young children, but with some reassurance they’ll likely enjoy the scenes too.
It’s an interesting look at what the Naracoorte Caves area was like tens of thousands of years ago, with a recreation of the area’s flora and megafauna. If you’re planning to see the Victoria Fossil Cave, it’s a great way to connect the fossils to how animals looked like long ago and the information complements the guided tour.
The centre is open 9:00am to 5:00pm daily.
Fossil Hunters Playground
Free for all visitors to the Naracoorte Caves National Park, this is a great option for families looking to spend a pleasant morning or afternoon running off some energy.
The playground is open-ended and lends itself well to imaginative, free play. Whilst younger kids will enjoy the playground, I imagine your child would need to be 3 years old+ to enjoy the space with minimal adult help. Perhaps pack some toys or a ball to have a run around on the grass as well.
There is a round net swing that is well-loved by kids. It’ll fit multiple children at a time and with some cooperation, groups of kids can usually get it going themselves. Be warned though – if you push it once, be prepared to push it again and again!
There’s also a great little space with shelter building materials tucked away in the trees, sure to be a hit with solo children or groups of kids for some challenging, creative play.
The playground is next to a large grassed area perfect to a game of chasey or a family lunch spot. Whilst there’s no boundary fence, it is a reasonable distance from the road and carpark.
Naracoorte Caves Cafe
The Caves Café provides a small menu of hot food daily, open from 10:00am to 3:00pm, with the kitchen closing at 2:00pm . The quality of the meals is great; home -cooked style, satisfying and local, fresh ingredients. Their coffees, milkshakes and other drinks are pretty good too.
However, there isn’t always a vegetarian option (no vegan option) and I wouldn’t consider this venue to be friendly for dietary needs or allergies. Breakfast is offered only on Sunday morning – great if you like bacon and eggs! The only other brekky offering is raisin toast.
The staff are very friendly and helpful and are well-used to catering to families with kids. There’s a small souvenir section at the back where you can pick up magnets, books and toy bats amongst other things. Worth a look if you’re into collecting quirky mementos from your travels.
I have eaten at the Caves Café many times both for lunch and breakfast and have genuinely enjoyed my meals sitting out on the large deck. There’s space for the pram and plenty of room for larger family groups too. In colder or wet weather, I’ve sat inside (a less spacious experience) or in the covered courtyard at the back.
I’ve also enjoyed grabbing a take-away coffee and pushing the pram along the Rooftop Loop walk. As a couple and now with a young baby in tow, it makes for a nice morning or afternoon out.
At last visit, the kids menu consisted of ‘Dino (chicken) Nuggets’ and chips. Of course, plenty of kids will be happy with nuggets but if you’re on a budget, don’t love nuggets or have particular dietary requirements – I would save your time and dollars, pack a lunch box and enjoy a picnic on the grassed area by the playground instead.
Walking Trails at the Naracoorte Caves
Roof Top Loop Walk
The Roof Top Look walk is an accessible walking trail suitable for prams, wheelchairs and mobility aids and an easy walk for young families.
The walk has plenty of informative signs, including some cool little sign posts to let you know you’re walking over the roof of a cave – hence the name! There are several cave entrances to check out. They are well-fenced and you’ll need to join a guided tour to enter.
Along the walk there are metal creations showing the silhouette of animals and megafauna from the area – it makes for a great game with kids to see who can spot all the animals along the trail and is useful to keep little ones motivated!
World Heritage Hike
The World Heritage Hike is a 2.2km walk between the Wonambi Fossil Centre and the Victoria Fossil cave. There are informative signs along this walk too, highlighting world heritage features and the parks history.
I’ve found that children can lose interest quite quickly on this trail, especially if they are unused to walking. However the walk is not difficult and takes about an hour to complete at a leisurely pace (add extra time if you have a toddler who insists on walking).
Camping and accomodation
I stayed in the Wirreanda bunkhouse with a group of kids several years ago. It’s pretty basic, about what you expect from school camp lodgings.
Families can rent out a room in the dormitory-style accomodation. It’s a cost of $89.00 per family for a minimum two night stay during weekends and school holidays. If you’re staying from April to October, bring extra blankets and layers for night because it gets COLD.
It’s a nice camp spot, with peaceful and natural scrub surrounds. You’re likely to spot some wildlife such as kangaroos, echidnas, possums and a variety of birds. There’s a grassed area and a tennis court perfect for the kids to run around.
The toilet and shower ammenities were very clean and well kept and are separate to the bunkhouse. There’s a free barbecue and a communal fire pit. You’ll need to supply your own firewood; it’s illegal to collect firewood in a national park.
Fires are allowed outside of bushfire season, usually this will be between April and November. The exact dates change yearly depending on conditions.
Getting there
To get to Wirreanda Bunkhouse and Camp grounds, keep driving on Wonambi Road onto Caves District Road past the sign for Naracoorte Caves. The next turn on the left is for the bunkhouse and campground. Visitors often turn in to the Caves instead and with a large carpark it’s easy to drive around thinking the camping must be around here somewhere!
Booking and prices
For up to four people at a site, powered campsites are $33.50, unpowered site $30.50 and for both, add $5 each for extra persons. Group camping (minimum of 10 people) is charged at $5 a head. Your options are to book online to reserve a spot or contact the Naracoorte Caves Visitor Centre (details below).
For booking accomodation, including campsites visit the Naracoorte Caves National Park website or call (+61 8) 8760 1210.
How to see everything in one day
It is possible to experience everything the Naracoorte Caves National Park has to offer in one day.
You may need to consider the stamina of all members of your group, especially kids, when choosing back-to-back tours. To get the most value from the tours, I recommend taking a break to soak up all the wonderful facts you’ll learn.
A day plan for seeing everything at Naracoorte Caves
9:00 Arrive at Wonmabi Fossil Centre to purchase tickets
The carpark is quite large and there’s overflow parking onto a grass oval during busy times (school holidays and long weekends). There are some spaces for longer vehicles, such as buses and those towing caravans.
It’s a short walk from the carpark to the Wonambi Fossil Centre. During busy times, there can be a short line to purchase tickets so it’s best to arrive with a little extra time before the first tour at 9:30AM.
9:30 Alexandra Cave tour
A great introductory tour, about 30 minutes long. This is suitable for younger children and the walk through the cave is quite easy for most. None of the tours are suitable for a pram although a baby carrier or sling would be fine.
10:00 Stick-tomato Caves
Check out this cave at your leisure. With no tour, you’re free to spend as much or a little time as you like.
10:30 Roof top loop walk
Look out for the metal sculptures of native animals! The walk has some great informative signs to read along the way. The gravel path is suitable for prams and wheelchairs.
This walk does start and end at the playground, something to consider if you’re travelling with kids. It can be difficult to get the kids on the walk when there’s an enticing swing to walk past!
11:30 Bat tour
Take a peak at the dark and mysterious world of the bats at the Bat Observation Centre and then wander through Blanche Cave with your tour guide.
12:30 Lunch at the Caves Cafe
Check out the Caves Café menu or have a picnic. There are a few picnic benches around or there’s a lovely grassy spot by the playground to throw down a rug.
1:30 Wonambi Fossil Centre
Check out the large Megafauna scene, a perfect match for your next tour! This activity is also unguided, so you can explore the centre at your leisure.
2:15 Victoria Fossil Cave Tour
This is the longest tour option at about an hour, including 30 minutes spent in the fossil chamber. If travelling with kids, it can help to let them know about the length of time the tour guide will be speaking in one spot.
The tour is very informative and the guides are happy to answer questions from kids and adults alike.
3:30 Fossil Hunters Playground or World Heritage Hike
Check out the World Heritage Hike for those travelling without kids. It’s got some great signposted information and is a chance to think about and digest what you’ve learnt on your tours.
And for the kids, the playground is likely to be the highlight of their day! A good run around before heading home is useful to tire kids out if you’ve got a bit of a drive to get home. Whilst imaginative play is a perfect way for kids to process what they’ve learnt on their day out.
4:30 Home time!
Travelling in the summer heat
The caves stay cool (around 18 degrees celsius) all year round so it’s a perfect activity for a hot summer’s day. If you want to check out the playground or take a walk, I recommend doing this early, ideally before 11am.
Is the Naracoorte Caves National Park worth a visit?
Absolutely! We were so surprised during our recent stay in Mount Gambier at just how many families we suggested visiting the caves who had no idea it was only an hour away! There’s almost no promotional material on the Naracoorte Caves in the surrounding areas. It’s still very much a hidden gem in many ways, like much of South Australia.
For more ideas on how to spend your time on the Limestone Coast, check out the posts below.
We acknowledge over 65,000 years of continuous care and custodianship of the Meintangk people over these lands and waters. Their sovereignty has never been ceded. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and the Meintangk people as the traditional and rightful owners of this Country.