Fact Sheets & Video - Naracoorte

Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia's only World Heritage Site, (previously a Conservation Park) was proclaimed by the Governor of South Australia as a National Park on 18 January 2001. It is located in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the southeast of South Australia, approximately 4 hours drive from Adelaide.

The importance of the fossil record at Naracoorte Caves was officially recognised in 1994, when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The park preserves 600 ha of remnant vegetation, with 26 caves contained within the 305 ha World Heritage Area.

The park also has a camping ground and caravan park, dormitory accommodation for groups, picnic grounds and a licensed caf. The range of visitor activities is extensive. Show cave tours are guided by professional interpreters through highly decorated caves with some tours visiting significant fossil deposits.

The caves have acted as pitfall traps, collecting animals for at least 500,000 years, preserving the most complete fossil record we have for this period of time. The Wonambi Fossil Centre offers visitors the opportunity to 'step back in time' and discover what Naracoorte was like over 200,000 years ago. The Centre contains fossil displays and a walk-through diorama with life-sized models of extinct animals in their ancient habitats. Modern technology has been utilised to show visitors the normally inaccessible interior of Bat Cave, where thousands of bats breed each year. The resident Southern Bent-Wing Bats are a fast, high flying species that feed on flying insects high above the vegetation and they can travel over 60 km on a single night. The current population estimate for Bat Cave is 30,000 to 36,000, which is considerably down from population estimates from the summer of 1963/4 of 100,000 to 200,000

Other opportunities at Naracoorte Caves include a selection of specialty tours and both novice and advanced Adventure Caving tours for the more adventurous visitors.

Accommodation options available at Naracoorte Caves include the Wirreanda Bunkhouse, which provides rooms to sleep four, six or up to a maximum of eight in the larger rooms. A fully equipped kitchen, laundry and ablution block are all close by. Alternatively, Camping facilities consist of ten powered sites and a large area for tents. All power and laundry facilities as well as rainwater are available to camper.

Further Information:

Naracoorte Caves National Park Cave Tours - From $ 11.50 Adults, $ 6.50 Children. Call (08) 8762 2340

Prices correct at 14/4/07. Subject to fluctuation. Conditions apply.

Naracoorte Caves National Park Accommodation - From $ 21 tent sites, $ 15 dormitories. Call (08) 8762 2340

Prices correct at 14/4/07. Subject to fluctuation. Conditions apply.