Victoria

The Garden State

Melbourne, the second largest city of Australia, the Great Ocean Road and much more. Victoria has over 800 limestone (karst) caves and several lava tubes. At the coast several marine caves in sandstone or basalt cliffs, so called pseudokarst features, are to be found.

The limestone caves are rather small but often well decorated. The karst areas are

• Quaternary limestones in the south-west, near the border to South Australia.
  Princess Margaret Rose Cave belongs to this area.
• The small Bat Ridges area south of which contains no show caves.
• The hard Devonian limestone in the north-east, around Buchan, which is divided into three regions:
  • Murrindal, 350 features
  • Buchan, 100 features
  • East Buchan, 100 features
• The small Mitta Mitta area which contains no show caves.
• The small Limestone Creek area which contains no show caves.
• The small Nowa Nowa at the coast, south of Buchan area which contains no show caves.

The Buchan region is the loacation of Victoria’s longest cave, the B-4, called the show cave system, as the Buchan Show Caves are part of this system.

The lava tubes are located in the Western lava plains, which extend from Melbourne 350 km to the west, almost to the South Australian border. There are more than 80 lava caves in this region. The best area to visit is Mount Eccles National Park, 40 km south of Hamilton in Western Victoria.

• Balaclava Mine
• Great Ocean Road
• Harman 1
• Princess Margaret Rose Cave
• Widderin Caves
• Central Deborah Gold Mine
• Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine
• Red Hill Alluvial Mine
• Wonthaggi State Coal Mine

• Buchan Caves
• Fairy Cave
• Royal Cave
• Federal Cave
• Shades Of Death Cave

• See also
• Victorian Scout Caving Team - Caving Areas