Very few places are filled with stunning natural wonders like Blue Mountains – perfect for caving. This heritage-listed area is surprisingly close to Sydney but feels like an entire world away. It should therefore come as no surprise that tourists are constantly flocking there to make the most out of the numerous Blue Mountains attractions.
With spectacular scenery, towering cliffs and endless stretches of gloriously green land that blends easily with the azure sky, this place is also known for its ancient caves that have fascinated geologists for years. Indeed, caving is one of the most thrilling Blue Mountains attraction.
Best of all, some caves are also suited for elderly people or anyone with a weaker stamina.
Where to go Caving?
Ideal for children and visitors of all ages, the Imperial Cave offers a relatively easy caving experience. In spite of its easy access, however, this wondrous Blue Mountains attraction is filled with stunning sights and excellent photo opportunities.
With a relatively level terrain, the cave only has a short set of stairs, which is also why it’s suitable for anyone with mild mobility issues. Some of the better-known features of this particular cave include the “Alabaster Column”, “The Sinkhole”, “Lot’s Wife”, “Ridleys Shortcut” and the exceptionally dramatic-looking “Crystal Cities”, which looks surprisingly like a mystical fortress. The Imperial Cave is also known for its exceptional limestone formations and the famous Jenolan Underground River which is found at the very bottom.
Because you need to go down a spiral staircase of no less than 66 steps to reach the river, this aspect of the tour is not recommended to elderly people or anyone with mobility issues.
A thrilling sight which is unique to this particular Blue Mountain attraction is the display of bones that were first discovered back in 1975, when the Imperial Cave was excavated. Visitors will generally need around an hour to cover a guided tour of the cave. Tours normally consist of small batches of 40 or less people.
Boasting stunning limestone formations and breathtaking beauty, this particular Blue Mountains attraction is ideal for visitors who want a complete immersion in the world of caving. In fact, because of its striking features, Temple of Baal Cave has rapidly become one of the most popular wedding venues in Australia.
With two enormous chambers, this cave is also reputed for its theatrical winding staircases. It should be noted that these stairs are not entirely suitable for anyone with mobility issues. One of the chambers actually measures 42 metres high and contains an extensive variety of stalagmites and other such formations. One of these is known as the “Angel’s Wing” cave shawl and is known for being among the widest cave formations in the world.
The various crystal helicities will undoubtedly deliver a unique caving experience while helping you appreciate what has quickly become one of the main Blue Moutains attraction.
One of the most exciting Blue Mountains attraction, the River Cave offers an intense caving experience that’s completely worth the effort. Featuring a gloriously deep, cerulean illuminated lake at the bottom, this cave is well worth the strenuous walk. Visitors should know that there are two very steep and high steel ladders to climb and around 1300 steps to cover.
Consequently, you should have a good stamina and an excellent level of fitness to visit this strenuous albeit awe-inspiring Blue Mountains attraction. The minimum age for the tour is 6 years and groups normally consist of 25 or less visitors.
It might take you around 2 hours to inspect the entire cave which has a length of 1271 metres.
