First discovered in 1881 by Norwegian migrant John Olsen, Capricorn Caves opened to the public three years later. Today, they remain one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia and one of Queensland’s longest-running tourist attractions. Located 23 kilometres north of Rockhampton, Capricorn Caves is highly accessible with walkways and ramps allowing many visitors to enjoy the wonders of these limestone structures.
Experienced tour guides share fascinating stories as they take you through these ancient caves. You’ll experience the breathtaking acoustics of Cathedral Cave, view fossil formations, and catch a glimpse of the little bent-wing bats. On your tour, you’ll discover Capricorn Caves is home to abundant native wildlife and endangered species. The caves have received numerous awards for adventure tourism and marketing including the Steve Irwin Ecotourism Award.
A visit to Capricorn Caves just north of Rockhampton is like entering a different world. As an Advanced Eco-Tourism attraction, you know you are in safe and knowledgeable hands with experienced local guides with you at every step of this enchanting journey.
A partnership with Palaeontologists from the Queensland Museum has turned these 400-million-year-old caves into a living classroom on biology, geology, and the environment, for young and old. A visitor centre located at the caves provides interesting information about the local geology, native bats, and history of the local community.
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For the adventurous explorer, you can take a guided tour deeper into the caves decked out in helmets and flashlights to visit spectacular locations like Deep Vault Cave and The Flowerpot. Here you’ll learn of the incredible geological forces that formed the caves and see some of the caves’ rare wildlife.
More daring trekkers can take on the challenge with only headlamps and expert adventure guides to show the way. You’ll traverse incredible caves with the curious names of Fat Man’s Misery and Jack’s Beanstalk! Emerging from the darkness of the caves you’ll be rewarded with the most spectacular 360-degree views over Baga National Park and Mt Etna National Park.
Join us on one of our fabulous tours that include a visit to Capricorn Caves.
Capricorn Caves were carved out of limestone formed from deposits made by coral growing in shallow waters. After absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and passing through rich organic soils, rainwater became acidic and dissolved the calcite in the limestone to form caves. The soil eventually eroded to expose more limestone.
Yes, Capricorn Caves offer a range of tours suitable for various ages and fitness levels. While some tours involve gentle walks and easy access to parts of the caves, others may require a moderate level of fitness and mobility due to uneven terrain and steps. It's advisable to check the tour descriptions and choose one that best fits your comfort and physical abilities.
The popular Cathedral Caves tour is a one-hour, one-kilometre guided walk showcasing the largest and most spectacular caves. You’ll learn ancient geological history, hear captivating stories of the early explorers, and discover the wonders of the native wildlife. As the name suggests, Cathedral Cave features wonderful acoustics you’re welcome to try out for yourself.
Our team is always happy to help if you have any questions about us or our tours. Fill out our form and we will get back to you soon.
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We are a Green Travel Leader. This is awarded to businesses which have consistently proven their commitment to sustainable tourism management over ten years.
As a Sustianable Tourism accredited business, we are proud to offer engaging tourism experiences that follow sound sustainability practices and environmental appreciation.
Quality Tourism accredited businesses like Fun Over 50 lead the way by offering the highest industry standards of customer service, satisfaction, reliability, and ethical practices.
We are committed to operating in ways that respect and reinforce Indigenous cultural heritage and the authenticity and integrity of living cultures of Indigenous communities.
We have incorporated strategic climate change responses across all relevant levels of our planning and operations. We are working towards becoming carbon neutral.
With Advanced Ecotourism certification, we offer outstanding experiences which let you get back to nature, help conservation, and minimise environmental impact.
We are a credible, well trained, and professional business. We conduct business in compliance with Australian Consumer Law and in accordance with ATAS Charter and Code of Conduct.
The Council of Australian Tour Operators represents tour operators and wholesalers. As a full CATO member, we provide authentic and original holidays with sustainable travel.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them, their cultures, and to the elders both past and present.
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