The Buchan Caves are a group of caves that include Royal Cave and Fairy Cave, located in Buchan, Victoria

Buchan, Victoria

Buchan is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Buchan Road, in the Shire of East Gippsland near the Snowy River. At the 2006 census, Buchan and the surrounding area had a population of 326....

, with limestone formations created by underground rivers cutting through limestone rock almost 400 million years ago. The Buchan Caves are located near 37.4958°S 148.1631°E, 360 km and five hours' drive from Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, along the Princes Highway

Princes Highway

The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....

, north of Lakes Entrance

Tourism

The caves are a major tourist attraction of the Gippsland

Gippsland

Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...

 Region. Daily tours are conducted in Royal Cave and Fairy Cave. Royal Cave features calcite-rimmed pools and in Fairy Cave features elaborate stalactites and stalagmite

Stalagmite

A stalagmite is a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. This stalagmite formation occurs only under certain pH conditions within the underground cavern. The corresponding formation on...

s. Both caves are lit, have walkways and have a constant temperature of 17 degrees Celsius.

Reserve

The Buchan Caves are situated within the Buchan Caves Reserve. The area is surrounded by trees and wildlife, which includes bellbirds, lyrebirds and kangaroos

KangaROOS

KangaROOS are an American brand of sneaker originally produced from 1979 through the 1980s, with a later revival that continues in present. They were notable for having a small zippered pocket on the side of the shoe, large enough for a small amount of loose change, keys, or more recently,...

. Amenities include a swimming pool, picnic ground, playground, campsites and an information centre.

History

The caves were accidentally reserved in 1887, as they were on land set aside for stock camping. The government commissioned an exploration of the land and, on the recommendation of the geologist Albert Ernest Kitson

Albert Ernest Kitson

Sir Albert Ernest Kitson KBE, CMG was a British/Australian geologist and naturalist, winner of the Lyell Medal in 1927.-Early life:...

, reserved the area to protect the caves.

In 1907, Frank Moon discovered the Fairy Cave which was opened to the public later that year. Royal Cave was discovered in 1910 by Frederick Wilson and after an entrance tunnel was excavated, it was opened to visitors in 1913. The Caves Reserve was set out and planted mostly in the late 1930s.

The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register

Victorian Heritage Register

The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...

 and is included a Heritage Overlay

Heritage Overlay

A Heritage Overlay or HO is one of a number of planning scheme overlays contained in the Victorian Planning Provisions, for use in planning schemes in Victoria, Australia...

.

External links

• The Buchan Caves Area (geology)