Caves House, once a popular guest house

Yarrangobilly Caves
Beautiful collection of limestone caves on the edge of the Snowy Mountains
The inevitable debate about which caves are the most beautiful / spectacular / dramatic in NSW / Australia always seems like one of those impossible parlour games - 'The Ten Greatest Films of all time' or 'The three most important inventions'. It is not really very fruitful. For some decades now it has been argued that Yarrangobilly Caves, if they were closer to Sydney and the coast, would certainly be more admired than the Jenolan Caves. Who knows?

Located 77 km from Tumut, 109 km from Cooma and 975 m above sea level, the caves were formed in a belt of limestone that is 440 million years old. There are an estimated 60 caves in the area, of which four - South Glory Cave, North Glory Cave, Jersey and Jillabenan - are open to the public. They are reached by a one-way, 6.5-km dirt road which is in good order and well maintained.

The great attraction of the Yarrangobilly Caves is the variety of activities which are offered in the immediate area. The Caves House and Information Centre are set in a narrow valley which has excellent picnic facilities.

Entering Yarrangobilly Caves the visitor passes through stone gates which commemorate the contribution made to Caves history by Leo Hoad. The gates were opened in 1957 some years after Hoad had retired as guide. He was caretaker of the Yarrangobilly Caves from 1919 to 1946 but remained at the caves (his sons became guides after him) until the mid-1950s when he retired to Tumut.

He discovered many caves in the area including the famous (some rate it as the best cave in the complex) Jillabenan Cave in 1910.

Leo Hoad was a remarkable man. One of those true Australian pioneers who was always ready with a humorous story or an informative and entertaining anecdote. He spent his winter months around the kitchen stove drinking endless cups of tea and remained remarkably strong and fit even when he was in his eighties.

He was at the end of a tradition of Caves management which dated back to the nineteenth century. The caves were first discovered by the stockman John Bowman who, so the story goes, found some cattle sheltering in the Glory Arch. The year was 1834 and he explored the cave with bark torches.

The Jersey Cave was discovered by graziers in 1861 and by the 1890s the caves, although difficult to reach, were becoming a tourist attraction. In 1891 Charles Kerry discovered a cave which he named after the Governor of New South Wales, Lord Jersey. The following year the Governor opened his namesake for inspection and four years later the Thermal Pool was built out of wood - it was enlarged and cemented in 1906. In 1901 the Caves House was completed.

The caves were closed from 1966-1968 while prisoners from Cooma Gaol modernised the facilities. The caves were rewired, the Glory Hole was made a self-guiding cave, new steps were built, and the old shed at the Thermal Pool was upgraded and improved. The area was reopened in 1968 by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife with the house where Leo Hoad had lived converted into an Information Centre. In 2007 the Caves House was opened to the general public. It has been divided into two with one half accommodating seven people and the other half accommodating eight. It is a superb way to spend some time in the area. People wanting to check the times of Caves inspections or the availability of facilities should contact 02 6454 9597.

Things to see:  

The entrance to the Glory Hole

Exploring the Caves
1. South Glory Cave
There is a pleasant walk (it was built by one man, Anthony Bradley, in 1907) to the Glory Hole, a huge cave with a gaping arch facing the Yarrangobilly river. The tour of the cave is self-guided, allowing the visitor to mooch through the caverns reading the plaques and inspecting the formations. There is a walking sheet available from the Information Office. The distance through the cave is about 470 metres with 206 steps rising about 45 metres.

Near the exit (at the far corner of the car park) is a sink hole where Rules Creek, which runs through the picnic area, disappears into an underground stream which resurfaces at the Yarrangobilly River upstream from the Glory Hole.

2. The Jersey, North Glory Cave and Jillabenan
The Jersey and the Jillabenan have regular guided tours. The Jillabenan is only 73 metres and has only 20 steps (ideal for the elderly). With an estimated age of 2 million years and a richness of formations it is regarded as one of the most beautiful caves in the country.

The Jersey is 135 metres long and is noted for its grey and black flowstone. It has 217 steps and is an estimated 745,000 years old. Tours of the cave usually last about 1.5 hours.

The North Glory Hole (entered through the dramatic Glory Arch) is 358 metres long, has 191 steps, and features huge stalactites. However, regular public tours are not run through this cave. It is generally used for school groups but others can gain access by forming a group and making arrangements in advance to undertake a guided tour.

The Thermal Pool from the path down the hill

The Thermal Pool
Apart from the caves there is a superb thermal pool with water which remains a constant 27°C all year round. It has been estimated that the water in the pool rises from a depth of 762 metres and bubbles out at the rate of 91 000 litres per hour. It is possible to swim in the thermal pool in the middle of winter when there is snow on the ground. The limitation, especially in summer, is that the pool is 700 metres down a fairly steep track and the effort required to return to the car park often almost outweighs the benefit of the swim.

Accommodation and Eating
Where once there was a thriving guest house/hotel which played host to people from all over Australia and, throughout the 1950s, to the men who worked on the Snowy Mountains Authority, now there is nothing. It is, as NPWS describe it, a day-use area only.