After buying our tickets at the Hastings Cave Visitor Centre we drove the 5 km down the gravel road to the cave parking area.
We then enjoyed a lovely walk through the beautiful Tasmanian forest to the entrance of the Newdegate cave. There were lots of ferns of all varieties and sizes.
Hastings Thermal Springs & Cave Prices (Oct 2012)
| Thermal Springs Pool Only | Newdegate Cave & Thermal Pool | |
| Adult | $5.00 | $24.00 |
| Child (5-17 Years Inclusive) | $12.00 | $2.50 |
| Child (Under 5 Years) | Free | Free |
| Pensioner / Senior | $4.00 | $19.20 |
| Health Care Cards | $4.00 | $19.20 |
| Family Pass (2 Adults + 3 Kids) | $12.00 | $60.00 |
A group of people were gathering there and so we all waited for the tour guide to arrive. He began by telling us that there were 245 steps inside the cave. The stairs are all of varying heights so care must be taken when walking up and down the stairs in the cave.
There are multiple caves around this part of Tasmania Southern Forests, but the Newdegate cave is the one open to the public. In fact it is one of the most visited public caves in Australia.
The entrance to the cave, that is still used today, was found back in 1917 by a group of timber workers.
Then in 1919 the entire hillside was made into a cave reserve and in 1939 it was opened to the general public. Since that time it has seen many thousands of visitors and tourists through its entrance.
The rock inside the cave is dolomite.
Water comes into the cave and drips from above when it rains outside. Then if it rains up in the mountains the water flows down Mystery Creek and into the Hastings cave.
In the cave there were many different stalactites and stalagmites. We were not allowed to touch them, as they would become damaged.
There was one section in the cave though where there was a large flat stalagmite that we were able to touch as we walked passed. It was smooth and very cold to the touch.
Greg, Tehillah and I all enjoyed the tour walking through the cave. It was really interesting seeing all of the varied structures and shapes and sizes.
The colours when the tour guides torch was shone through some of the stalagmite and stalactites were truly beautiful.
At the entrance of the cave the guide showed us a few Tasmanian crickets that live just inside the cave entry. There was also a Tasmanian cave spider at the cave entrance too. The guide said that the spiders live all throughout the cave.
Location:
Hastings Newdegate Cave Aerial View:
Our next blog post will take us back down the dirt road to the Visitor centre for a swim and relax in the Hastings thermal spring pool.
Until then, Remember to Enjoy Life and Enjoy a Fun Tasmanian Holiday!
Leanne Annett <><
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