Your guide to accessible features at Naracoorte Caves

Your trip to the region wouldn’t be com­plete with­out vis­it­ing Nara­coorte Caves, where you can step back in time and dis­cov­er why it’s one of only 19 UNESCO World Her­itage-List­ed places across Australia.

If you need to fac­tor acces­si­bil­i­ty into your trav­els, we’ve got you cov­ered. Here are some of the top spots and tips about their acces­si­ble features.

Step back in time at the Won­am­bi Fos­sil Centre 

The Won­am­bi Fos­sil Cen­tre is the per­fect place to start your jour­ney. A large recep­tion area wel­comes you to the caves and includes inter­pre­tive pan­els and life sized mod­els of extinct mam­mals, telling the fas­ci­nat­ing sto­ry of one of the world’s most impor­tant fos­sil sites.

Per­fect for kids, the fos­sil cen­tre incor­po­rates the­atre and sci­ence to show you what Nara­coorte looked like 200,000 years ago. 

The cen­tre is wheel­chair acces­si­ble, which large clear sections. 

Stroll the Rooftop Loop Walk 

The Rooftop Loop Walk pro­vides uni­ver­sal access for peo­ple of all ages and abil­i­ties to enjoy the fas­ci­nat­ing under­ground world of Nara­coorte Caves.

The 850-metre walk is designed with view­ing plat­forms placed in strate­gic loca­tions, offer­ing a sneak peek into the caves and a chance to wit­ness bats tak­ing flight as they enter or exit their under­ground home. The path has grad­ual tran­si­tions with no steps or stairways.

The walk links the caves’ Won­am­bi Fos­sil Cen­tre with the Bat Obser­va­tion Cen­tre, Bat Cave and Blanche Cave, with plen­ty of his­to­ry and fun facts for you to learn along the way.

Grab a bite to eat 

The Caves Café is a pop­u­lar spot for Nara­coorte locals and vis­i­tors and offers a sea­son­al menu. You can enjoy a light lunch or sit down for a hot meal paired with a cof­fee or glass of wine from the local Wrat­ton­bul­ly region. 

The café is wheel­chair acces­si­ble and a sep­a­rate large size print menu is avail­able for those who are visu­al­ly impaired. 

If you’d pre­fer to bring your own food, pic­nic tables along the Rooftop Loop Walk are wheel­chair acces­si­ble, pro­vid­ing enough room to allow for manoeuvrability.

Let the kids dig for fossils

The Fos­sil Hunters Play­ground is a free nature play space, pro­vid­ing an oppor­tu­ni­ty for kids to burn off some ener­gy and engage in an enjoy­able play expe­ri­ence in a nat­ur­al setting. 

The play­ground paths are wheel­chair acces­si­ble and activ­i­ties are depen­dent on abil­i­ty lev­el, includ­ing swings and rope climbing. 

Pop­u­lar for all ages, a high­light includes the chance to dig through sand and search for fossils! 

When is the best time to visit?

Right now! The caves stay at a con­stant 17 degrees centi­grade, mak­ing them a des­ti­na­tion for all sea­sons. Dur­ing win­ter, the caves often feel warm, while in sum­mer they feel cool.

Where can I park?

A large carpark is avail­able onsite, includ­ing a num­ber of acces­si­ble parks.

Social scripts:

Social scrips are avail­able online to help peo­ple on the Autism Spec­trum vis­it parks. Social scripts may be able to assist with less­en­ing anx­i­ety and stress when vis­it­ing a new place. The scripts include spe­cif­ic and illus­trat­ed infor­ma­tion about what an autis­tic per­son can expect when vis­it­ing one of South Australia’s nation­al parks.

Park of the Month

Through­out March, Nara­coorte Caves is being cel­e­brat­ed as Nation­al Parks and Wildlife Service’s Park of the Month.

There are plen­ty of activ­i­ties on offer across the month, includ­ing a Wel­come to Bun­gan­ditj Coun­try Nature and Cul­ture Walk. Check out the web­site for all the details.

Make the most of your trip with our guide to the per­fect Nara­coorte Caves experience.