Tinted Cave


Useful Information

Location: Wombeyan Caves.
From Mittagong: Old Hume Highway 17 towards Berrima, turn right on Wombeyan Caves Road.
From Goulburn: Taralga Road north through Taralga, turn right on Wombeyan Caves Road.
From the ticket office 1.5 km / 30 minutes walk.
(-34.314488, 149.960244)
Open: no restrictions.
[2022]
Fee: free.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: H Jane Dyson (ed) et al. (1982): Wombeyan Caves, SSS Occasional Paper No 8. Published 1982. WorldSSS.
Address: Wombeyan Caves, P.O. Box 18, Taralga NSW 2580.
Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve, 41 Victoria Arch Drive, Wombeyan Caves NSW 2580, Tel: +61-48-43-5976. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History


Description

Tinted Cave is a small semi-wild cave at the end of Mares Forest Creek walking track. From the ticket office just follow the trail to the cave on the right side of the valley. Then go straight ahead on the same trail across the hill and down into Mares Forest Creek. The visit is worthwhile, even if it involves a 1.5 km 25 minutes hike. On the way, views into the Mares Forest Creek Gorge are possible, the trail to the right descends into the gorge. At the bottom are several lakes where you can swim.

The trail to the left leads to Tinted Cave, which is only the last remnant of a cave through which Mares Creek once flowed. It has four entrances, but it is what cavers call an in-and-out cave. The cave is developed with a path, stairs and light, which is turned on automatically by a motion sensor. Its name is derived from the many colours found in the cave, especially the blue-green and pink cyanobacteria. The openings of the cave to the gorge are called balconies, because they offer a great view.