Explore Tantanoola Caves: South Australia’s wheelchair-accessible cave

A unique, wheel­chair-acces­si­ble cave experience

Unlike most caves that require vis­i­tors to nav­i­gate steep stairs or uneven sur­faces, Tan­ta­noola Cave is one of Australia’s few wheel­chair-acces­si­ble caves. Thanks to care­ful­ly designed ramps, peo­ple of all abil­i­ties, includ­ing those using wheel­chairs or walk­ing aids, can enjoy the won­der of these remark­able for­ma­tions. Vis­i­tors can sim­ply roll or walk into the cave with­out the wor­ry of tack­ling stairs or dif­fi­cult terrain.

Upon arrival, enjoy a spe­cial host­ed expe­ri­ence as a knowl­edge­able guide intro­duces you to the his­to­ry and geol­o­gy of the caves and explains how its spec­tac­u­lar array of for­ma­tions has devel­oped over thou­sands of years. You are then free to stroll through the large cav­ern at your leisure and take photographs.

As you enter the cav­ern, you’ll be struck by the stun­ning dis­play of speleothems — del­i­cate cave dec­o­ra­tions that range from del­i­cate pinks to deep browns, coloured by the cave’s dolomite base rock. The famous ​“Up and Down Rocks” for­ma­tion is a must-see, show­cas­ing nature’s intri­cate artistry.

Tan­ta­noola Cave is nes­tled with­in a cliff face and offers an extra­or­di­nary glimpse into South Australia’s geo­log­i­cal his­to­ry. Vis­i­tors can wan­der through the large, acces­si­ble cav­ern, tak­ing pho­tos and soak­ing in the beau­ty of the space.

Explore more than just the cave

The expe­ri­ence doesn’t end under­ground. Above the cave, you’ll find pic­nic spots per­fect for a relax­ing day out. For those who want to stretch their legs, the cliff-top walk­ing trail offers panoram­ic views of the sur­round­ing land­scape. It’s a great way to immerse your­self in the beau­ty of the region from both above and below ground.

Plan your visit

Tan­ta­noola Caves is a 25 minute dri­ve from Mount Gam­bier and offers easy online book­ings to secure your spot. Whether you’re vis­it­ing dur­ing school hol­i­days or on a qui­et week­end, this fam­i­ly-friend­ly loca­tion is a must-see. You can explore the caves at your own pace and make use of the excel­lent pic­nic and walk­ing areas for a full day of adventure.

While tick­ets can also be pur­chased on arrival the park, advanced book­ings are recommended.

Open­ing Hours:

• Sep­tem­ber to April: Open dai­ly from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (Closed on Christ­mas Day).
• May to August: Open on Fri­day, Sat­ur­day, Sun­day, and Mon­day from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
• School Hol­i­days & Pub­lic Hol­i­days: Open for South Aus­tralia and Vic­to­ria school hol­i­days and all pub­lic holidays.

Whether you’re after a unique cave expe­ri­ence or a scenic day out, Tan­ta­noola Caves Con­ser­va­tion Park offers some­thing for every­one — mak­ing it one of South Australia’s most impres­sive and acces­si­ble nat­ur­al wonders.

Inter­est­ed in explor­ing oth­er region­al parks? Dis­cov­er 13 region­al parks with acces­si­ble facilities.