This weekend we headed out to Yanchep National Park for something a little different! Caving!
Arriving at Yanchep Park you’re greeted at the Gate where you pay your $12 per car entry fee and are told to proceed through to the Visitors Centre to purchase your cave tickets.
First off, why do we have to find the Visitors Centre?! Why can’t I purchase tickets at the same time as I pay my entry fee? Secondly, why is there not a gigantic sign saying ‘Visitors Centre’- we drove around for a good 10 minutes before we could work out the provided map.
We finally purchased our cave tickets at $10 a pop and made our way to Crystal Cave where we were greeted by Bushman Bob *his name wasn’t actually Bushman Bob…
Bushman Bob was our guide who was EXTREMELY knowledgeable about all things Geology and passionate about the cave network and preserving the caves for future generations.
The tour went for approximately 50 minutes taking you through the series of caverns where some waterworks have been recreated to help preserve what is left. Bushman Bob explained how the ecosystem functions in great detail much to the delight of The Angry Hiker and one American tourist who seemed very keen to prove his high school geology lessons had paid off.
The walk down through the caves is very casual not requiring any real level of fitness. The cave entry is via a steep set of stairs and is therefore not wheelchair accessible.
Crystal Cave in Yanchep National Park proved to be a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Yanchep is approximately 45 minutes north of the city making it over an hours drive from us but it was worth the drive. The caves are beautiful, our guide was a legend and the cool temperatures of the caves provided respite from the heat.
Just a note – Beware of snakes in the area; we almost drove over one and our guide relayed stories of snakes falling through the ceiling of the caves.(Yes, I would have required a change of pants…) So just be mindful that it’s their bush.
So if you’re short of plans this warm weekend maybe Yanchep National Park could be just what you’re looking for.
P.S The Yanchep Inne is also within the national park so the park offers a nice spot for lunch or even a picnic on the lake.
Happy adventuring!
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