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The Jenolan Caves are Australia's most accessible and popular limestone caves because they are located only 175 kilometres from Sydney and 75 kilometres from Katoomba. They are deep in a valley on the far side of the Great Dividing Range and are 793 metres above sea level in part of the World Heritage Greater Blue Mountains area. Between Hartley and the Jenolan Caves, the road crosses the Great Dividing Range at an altitude of 1250 metres.

 

The caves are believed to have been first explored by European settlers in 1838 and came under New South Wales Government control in 1866, becoming only the second area in the world reserved for the purpose of conservation. The caves have been dated at 340 million years old, making them the world’s oldest known open cave system. They have been open to the public for over 150 years and attract over 250,000 visitors a year, making it the most popular tourist location in rural New South Wales.

 

The drive to the Caves includes one of the most dramatic and unusual stretches of road in New South Wales. After winding down a hill the road reaches a river with an incredibly blue pond and there, in front of you, is the Grand Arch. Visitors have to drive into, and wind through, the main cave before emerging just below Caves House. The Grand Arch is the largest open cave in Australia. It is 24 metres high, 55 metres wide and 127 metres long, and is an extraordinary introduction to the whole experience of the Jenolan Caves.

 

There are 22 major caves in the Jenolan system, with nine show caves open to the public with spectacular lighting, underground rivers and incredible cave formations. Tour guides take you through the caves, and there is one self-guided tour. Some caves are tougher than others. Jenolan Caves also offer adventure tours, and cavers have access to caves that the general public do not visit. There are also picnic facilities and bush walking tracks as Jenolan is a 2430 hectare flora and fauna sanctuary. You may see lyrebirds, wallabies, possums, kangaroos and, if you are lucky, wombats.

 

The Jenolan Caves and Blue Mountains can be explored with an optional day tour added to a New South Wales package.

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