Places for adventure recreation
Yarrangobilly Caves
Wheelchair access: hard
- Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty
- The picnic area is wheelchair-accessible. Access to Jillabenan Cave is possible using a specially prepared wheelchair supplied on-site. Bookings are required – please contact Yarrangobilly Caves on (02) 6454 9597 for further information.
Step into the depths of Yarrangobilly Caves and you’ll discover stalagmites, stalactites and delicate decorations like shawls and cave corals.
Explore five caves created from a belt of limestone laid down about 440 million years ago in Koscuiszko National Park.
The largest cave, called South Glory, with its lofty chambers, presents a unique opportunity to explore on a self-guided tour. The other caves, including Jersey and Jillabenan, are guided Discovery tours that run three times a day from Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre.
Come properly prepared for adventure: sturdy, enclosed shoes are a must and the caves are very cool, so bring a jacket even in the warmest weather. You’ll also want to bring your swimmers because once you’ve explored what’s below ground, you can take the short walk to the thermal pool above ground. Year-round, it stays at a toasty 27ºC, and there’s something quite magical about paddling here in the midst of winter when snow can lie around its edges.
There are also some other great walks, plenty of wildlife and birds to admire, and the beautifully restored Yarrangobilly Caves house or the the modern and spacious Lyrebird Cottage, where you can stay overnight.
Activities: show cave tours, picnics and barbecues, walking, photography, birdwatching, swimming, sightseeing, adventure caving
Getting there: Yarrangobilly Caves are in the northern precinct of Kosciuszko National Park. To get there:
- From Tumut, turn left onto Snowy Mountains Highway and travel 75km south.
- Turn right onto Yarrangobilly Caves Entrance Road
- Travel 6km down a one-way gravel road to Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Snow chains required after snow.
Opening hours: Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre is open 9am–5pm (except Christmas Day). The self-guided South Glory Cave is open 9.30am–4.30pm. Jersey and Jillabenan cave tours run at regular intervals from the visitor centre. For details of tours to Castle and North Glory caves, contact the visitor centre on (02) 6454 9597.
Facilities: picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues (free), carpark, drinking water, electric power, lookout, flush toilets, trackhead/access point
Vehicle entry fee: $3 per vehicle per day.
Other fees:
- Self-Guided Cave Tour: $15 adults, $10 concession, $38 families
- Guided Cave Tour: $20 adults, $15 concession, $48 families
- Two-Cave Pass: $27 adults, $20 concession, $65 families
- Three-Cave Pass: $40 adults, $30 concession, $100 families
(Note: the family price includes 2 adults and up to 3 school-age children)
Bookings: All accommodation reservations incur a booking fee of 2.5%, in addition to the total amount payable.
Contact:
Yarrangobilly Caves, Phone: (02) 6454 9597
Adventure recreation: events and activities
| Commercial activity | Action Learning Initiatives  Action Learning Initiatives (ALI) specialises in developing customised outdoor education programs for our client schools. ALI runs both summer and winter outdoor education programs which are safe, professional and educational.
Activities that can be incorporated into our programs include:
- day/multi-day hikes
- flat water canoeing
- white water canoeing/rafting
- archery
- orienteering
- rock climbing/abseiling
- mountain biking
- downhill skiing/snowboarding
- cross country skiing/snowshoeing
- raft building.
More info: Action Learning Initiatives, Phone: 02 6457 2788 (international +612 6457 2788) | As required |
| Commercial activity | Australian School of Mountaineering  ASM is Australia's longest established and most experienced adventure school and guiding company. ASM is based in the Blue Mountains, one of the world's most outstanding wilderness areas, containing thousands of square kilometres of rainforest, canyons, plateaus and sandstone cliff-line.
We offer a huge range of the finest guided adventures, tours and outdoor technical courses in abseiling, rockclimbing, canyoning, and wilderness navigation, all conducted in the spectacular Blue Mountains, as well as mountaineering and snow camping in the Snowy Mountains in winter. More info: Australian School of Mountaineering, Phone: 02 4782 2014 (international +612 4782 2014) | As required |
| Commercial activity | Higher Ground Group As one of Australia's leading outdoor education providers, Higher Ground specialises in the development of individually customised, curriculum integrated, sequential programs with dynamic, high quality delivery. We offer a large range of programming options from centre-based to full expedition experiences in a host of locations throughout NSW and QLD. We have the ability to provide an option to cater to every group's programming and budgetary requirements. More info: Higher Ground Group, Phone: 1300 093 316 | As required |
| Commercial activity | K7 Adventures  During summer, K7 Adventures provides quality abseiling, rock climbing, bushwalking, wildflower walks, photography walks, astronomy nights and cross country mountain bike trips. In winter, we offer day and overnight snow shoeing and back country skiing. Our overnight trips take you from resort to resort, giving you the best of day and night experiences in the alpine region.
We specialise in individual, small group and family trips, personalised to suit your needs, level of fitness and budget. More info: K7 Adventures, Phone: 0421 862 354 (international +61421 862 354) | As required |
| Commercial activity | Kosciuszko Thredbo  There is something very special about Thredbo. With each season there is a mountain of experiences that make it like no other.
Whether you're seeking a new adventure or just a chance to unwind, you'll find it in Thredbo. The views are breathtaking and the activities will take your breath away. Thredbo Village is 1365 metres above sea level with the famous Kosciuszko Express Chairlift taking you close to 2000 metres, and from the top, the Main Range is only footsteps away. There are guided walks and talks, interpretative tours and a resort full of things to do. Stand tall on the top of Mt Kosciuszko - after all, you are on the highest point in Australia - or hurtle down the Thredbo Downhill on a mountain bike, cast a line in the famous rivers and streams or just wander in the high country past peaks and sparkling alpine lakes. You will love the divine alpine, no matter what the season. More info: Kosciuszko Thredbo, Phone: 02 6459 4100 (international +612 6459 4100) | As required |
| Commercial activity | Snowy Mountains Climbing School  If you want to experience the best of outdoors then Snowy Mountains Climbing School can make it happen! We offer tailor-made programs and adventures to suit your individual or group’s outdoor adventure needs, be they recreational, corporate or challenge.
Choose from rock climbing, abseiling, alpine survival to international expeditions. We are the outdoor adventure specialists. More info: Snowy Mountains Climbing School, Phone: 0438 769 101 (international +61438 769 101) | As required |
| Commercial activity | The Collaroy Centre The Collaroy Centre is one of Australia's leading conference centres. Located at Collaroy Beach, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, the centre provides accommodation for up to 500. The centre not only has a superb location, but also provides all guests with exceptional dining and meeting facilities. The centre offers education and recreation activities, including abseiling, high ropes, adventure courses, archery, canoeing, surfing etc. Offsite programs and activities in national parks are also available. We specialise in Duke of Edinburgh and school excursions, and offer canyoning canoeing, and bushwalking expeditions. The Collaroy Centre is always focused on its guests, so all programs are tailored to specific needs and desired outcomes. More info: The Collaroy Centre, Phone: 02 9982 9800 (international +612 9982 9800) | As required |
| Commercial activity | The Outdoor Education Group  The Outdoor Education Group (OEG) is a unique, independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides experiential adventure-based learning programs to schools throughout NSW and Victoria. OEG runs programs in a diverse range of natural environments throughout NSW.
Our programs run from one day up to 30 days and offer activities such as bush walking, canoeing, rafting, cycling, snow shoeing and many more. OEG envisages a world where more people respect and take responsibility for themselves, others and the natural world, and act to support positive relationships, healthy communities and the sustainability of life. Our mission is to deliver excellence in outdoor education through partnerships with schools in order to prepare young people for the personal, social and environmental challenges in their lives. More info: The Outdoor Education Group, Phone: 02 4869 6700 (international +612 4869 6700) | As required |
| Commercial activity | Wilderness Sports  We are the original licensed operator for adventure activities within Kosciuszko National Park, with over 25 years experience. We specialise in taking small groups into the less-trodden and special places in both winter and summer, to experience the unique Australian alpine wilderness and environment.
As well as offering skiing, snowboarding and snow-shoeing, we teach snowcraft and backcountry safety. Choose from multi-day and overnight tours. We can also cater for school groups. We provide outdoor education programs in the Snowy Mountains and nearby ranges, with a diverse program including team building.
We have a retail store and hire outlet, to ensure that individuals and groups are outfitted with the necessary equipment to enjoy the mountains and various seasons of this unique alpine environment. More info: Wilderness Sports, Phone: 02 6456 2966 (international +612 6456 2966) | As required |
