Hastings Caves State Reserve, Nature reserve in Huon Valley, Australia
Hastings Caves State Reserve is a protected area in Huon Valley, Tasmania, built around Newdegate Cave, a dolomite cavern with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, shawls, straws, and helictites across several chambers. The reserve also covers a stretch of rainforest with walking trails and a heated thermal pool near the visitor center.
Timber workers discovered the cave in 1917 while logging in the surrounding forest. The site was placed under formal protection just two years later and then prepared for public visits during the 1930s.
The cave takes its name from Sir Francis Newdegate, who served as Governor of Tasmania in the early 20th century. Visitors today walk through chambers where the rock formations are given names to help make the underground world more readable.
The cave can only be visited on a guided tour, so it is worth checking departure times before arriving. The heated thermal pool and picnic areas near the visitor center are good places to spend time before or after the tour.
The cave is one of the few dolomite caves in Australia, which sets it apart from most other caves on the continent that formed in limestone. Deep inside, over 40 animal species have adapted to life without light, and many of them have no eyes or body pigmentation at all.
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