Tasmania · Attraction
Hastings Caves State Reserve
Ancient dolomite caverns underground
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Deep in the far south of the Huon Valley, Hastings Caves State Reserve protects Newdegate Cave, one of the largest dolomite caves open to the public in the Southern Hemisphere. Guided tours wind through chambers decorated with delicate flowstone formations, stalactites, and shawls that took hundreds of thousands of years to form.
Ranger-led cave tours run several times daily from the visitor centre, covering the cave's geology, the rare invertebrates that live in its dark recesses, and the history of its discovery and opening to visitors in the 1930s. The tour takes around 45 minutes inside the cave, with the temperature holding at a constant 9 degrees Celsius year-round, so a warm jacket is essential regardless of the season.
The reserve sits within tall wet eucalypt forest, and a short rainforest walk near the visitor centre makes a pleasant addition to a cave tour. Check the Parks Tasmania website before travelling, as the adjacent thermal springs pool can close for repairs. The cave tours operate year-round.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Hastings Caves State Reserve.
You may also like
Hartz Mountains National Park
Bruny Island
Huon Valley
kunanyi / Mount Wellington
Hobart
Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
Tasman Peninsula
Mount Field National Park
Russell Falls
Richmond
Richmond
