Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs

Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs are 90 minutes’ drive south of Hobart and just one hour from Huonville.  These great dolomite caves started to form, we believe, about 40 million years ago and remained unseen until 1917, when timber workers discovered the entrance. They named their magnificent find after the governor of the time, Sir Francis Newdegate. Newdegate Cave is the largest tourist cave in Australia and occurs in dolomite rather than limestone.

Parks and Wildlife Service conduct 45-minute daily tours through the large highly decorated cavern. Formations in the cave are large and spectacular including flowstone, stalactites, columns, shawls, straws, stalagmites and the unusual helictites. The Cave is spacious, well lit and there are no narrow passages. There are around 240 stairs but these are traversed in small sections. The underground temperate is naturally maintained at nine degrees celsius all year round.

Tours operate hourly beginning at 1000 (from September through April) and from 1100 from the end of April to September (please phone for confirmation). You can buy your tickets from the Visitor Centre on the way to the caves.

The Hastings Cave Visitor Centre and Thermal Springs Pool is about five kilometres from the Cave entrance and you will find modern well equipped facilities including interpretation, souvenirs and a licensed cafe.

The Thermal Pool is surrounded by forest and ferns with a large picnic area equipped with change rooms, showers and toilets, electric barbecues, forest walks and a picnic shelter with open fires. The pool is fed from a spring that supplies spring water at around 28 degrees Celsius all year round. It  is hygienically controlled and has a paddling pool for children.

Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs are serviced by one visitor centre. The roads are well signposted, so getting there is not too difficult, although the visitor centre is down a dirt road. The Caves are approximately five kilometres from the Visitor centre, and there are interpreted pamphlets, souvenirs and a licensed café. The Thermal Spring pool is next to the visitor centre.

The Caves were discovered in 1917 when timber workers discovered the entrance and are believed to be formed 40 million years ago. The Cave is the largest tourist cave in Australia and occurs in dolomite rather than limestone. It is run by the Parks and Wildlife Service, who have 45 minute daily tours through the large cavern. Formations in the cave are spectacular and include flowstone, stalactites, columns, shawls, straws, stalagmites and the unusual helictites. Bring a jacket as the underground temperate is naturally maintained at nine degrees Celsius all year round. To check for tour times, please visit the Parks and Wildlife Service website, as times change through out the year.

The Thermal Pool is a swimming pool, approximately 15 meters by 10 meters. When we arrived, we were disappointed to only see a swimming pool. There were children playing in the pool, so don’t think this is a retreat or resort type pool, where you sit and bathe. This is more like a local swimming pool, where the kids can play and the adults can use the BBQ facilities. The site is surrounded by forest and ferns and there is a large picnic area with change rooms, showers and toilets, electric barbecues, forest walks and a picnic shelter with open fires. The pool is fed from a spring that supplies spring water at around 28 degrees Celsius all year round, there’s also a paddling pool for children.

The forest walk is interesting as it educates visitors about how the thermal springs produce the natural warm spring water. The boardwalk is has plaques along the way which explain the process simply, so you can translate it to the kids without having to make things up.

Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs Info