Abercrombie Caves

Notes:

We had always wanted to come to the Abercrombie Caves and finally we had our chance. On a rather bleak day we drove down the narrow roadway to the base of the valley, thankfully meeting nobody else on the way or it would have been quite awkward for us and them, no wiggle room at all. The Ranger told us that only the self guided archway cave walk was open today, so we decided to see what it was like.

The Archway is Abercrombie’s most famous feature and the largest natural arch in the Southern Hemisphere. The walk starts at the Rangers office and heads to the river and crosses over the arch to the far end of the cave itself. It is here you enter the cave and walk back through the cave. Walking on paths close to the creek bed then over a bridge, the path had side tracks to explore and even a swing bridge to cross for fun, before leaving the cave and heading back to the Rangers Office. The cave has a long social history, including the gold miner’s dance platform, which we were told is still used today. Fortunately the tour features automatic lighting and has information signs about the cave origins. This was a great self-guided tour.

After a lunch that we bought at the park Kiosk we again drove up the rather narrow road and again thankfully we met no-one else, just as the Ranger promised. However at lunch we did see a much bigger caravan than ours come down which made me, at least, apprehensive regarding the trip back up the hill.


Starting the walk	A vintage swing bridge	Looking upstream towards the caves

Looking downstream	Crossing the Swing bridge	View - Swing bridge in the distance

The cave below - where the cave tour ends	Information sign	The cave below - where the cave tour ends

Cave exit	Up hill to the cave entrance	Kangaroo on our path

Kangaroos on our path	Kangaroos on our path	Information sign

General view of area	View - cave entrance	Information sign

View - Walking track	View - river below	View - Walking track to cave

View - Walking track to cave	View - Walking track to cave	View - upstream from cave entrance

View - Cave entrance	View - start of the cave walk	View - looking back to entrance gate

View - Cave walk	View - wall formations	View - looking back to entrance gate

View - looking back, Mischa near entrance gate	View - Cave walk	View - looking back to entrance gat

View - Cave walk	View - stalactites from cave roof	View - Cave walk

View - stalactites from cave roof	View - stalactites from cave roof and grotto	View - stalagmites

View - stalagmites next to cave walkway	View - stalagmites next to cave walkway	View - stalagmites next to cave walkway

Information sign	View - stalagmites	View - Cave walk, looking back to entrance

View - Cave walk, looking back to entrance	Information sign	View - bridge over creek

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - bridge over creek	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave entrance with Ranger leaving

View - cave entrance	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	Information sign	View - bridge and cave formations

View - bridge and cave formations	View - bridge and cave formations	View - Mischa climbing stairs

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	Some crawl spaces to find and explore	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	More crawling	View - cave formations

View - cave formations - creek below	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave exit ahead	View - cave exit ahead	View - cave bridge

View - cave bridge	View - Swing bridge	View - cave exit

View - Swing bridge	View - cave exit	View - cave exit

View - creek bed	Photo on swing bridge	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave exit	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave walkway next to creek	View - cave formations

View - swing bridge	View - cave walkway	View - cave walkway

View - swing bridge	View - cave formations	View - Debris next to creek

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - pathway to exit	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - creek

View - pathway to exit	View - cave formations	View - park bench for relaxing

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations and dancefloor	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

Information sign	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations near exit	View - cave end	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - dance floor

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	Exit view

View - cave formations	View - cave formations	Exit view

View - cave formations	View - cave formations with dance floor	View - cave formations

View - cave formations	Information sign	View - cave formations

View - cave formations close to exit	View - cave formations close to exit	View - cave formations close to exit

View - cave formations close to exit	View - cave formations close to exit	The end - exit gate ahead

View - cave formations close to exit	The end - exit gate ahead	View - cave formations close to exit

View - cave formations close to exit	View - cave formations close to exit	View - cave formations close to exit

View - cave formations close to exit	View - outside of cave	Outside and heading back - tour over