Chillagoe - Mungana Caves National Park

Introduction

This national park protects the Chillagoe–Mungana cave system, an underground world of caverns, chambers and eerie passageways decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, shawls, helictites (a twisted form of stalactite), canopies, crystal flows and rimstone pools. Above ground, extraordinary 70-metre-high limestone outcrops tower above the surrounding plains. There are also Indigenous rock-art sites at Balancing Rock and Mungana.This rugged limestone landscape supports scrubby vegetation interspersed with kurrajongs, ghost gums, batwing coral trees, bauhinia and native figs – whose roots can often be seen hanging down into the caves. The caves themselves provide a wonderful home for six species of bats, including the common bentwing and little bentwing, and the eastern horseshoe-bat. Colonies of white-rumped swiftlets also live in the caves, building their nests of congealed saliva and kangaroo grass on the sloping cave walls. Outside you will see wallabies and wallaroos, with pale-headed rosellas, apostlebirds and blue-faced honeyeaters overhead.  Guided tours are available through the Royal Arch, Donna and Trezkinn caves, just south of Chillagoe. The Royal Arch Cave is a series of 13 chambers spread along a 1.5-kilometre passage, dotted with amazing limestone formations. The Donna Cave, although small, is regarded as the prettiest of the caves and is electrically lit. Trezkinn Cave, also lit, has several steep flights of stairs leading to a magnifi cent chandelier. Bauhinia and Pompeii caves can be seen on self-guided tours, but you must bring a torch and notify the ranger beforehand. The town of Chillagoe offers a range of accommodation options.

Fact file

Camping

No camping

Location and access

215 km west of Cairns via Mareeba and Dimbulah

Park Information

• NQIS (07) 3227 8185
• Park ranger (07) 4094 7163
• QPWS Cairns (07) 4046 6600

Size

3580 ha

Where to Stay

Chillagoe (07) 4094 7111

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Explore Australia’s National Parks

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