Hastings Caves, Dolomite cave system in Tasmania, Australia.

Hastings Caves is a dolomite cave system in southern Tasmania whose main show cave is Newdegate Cave, reached by guided tours through chambers lined with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, shawls, straws and helictites. The cave lies about 249 metres above sea level, roughly 16 km west of Dover, with Adamsons Peak rising 2.7 km to the north.

Timber workers discovered the cave system in 1917 while cutting trees near the entrance, marking the first known exploration of the site. The caves were developed as a tourist destination during the 1930s when economic hardship brought interest in new attractions.

Newdegate Cave, the main show cave, is named after Sir John Newdegate, Governor of Tasmania from 1917 to 1920, who visited the site. The surrounding Hastings area was opened up by timber workers and later by loggers and miners, and the cave reserve now sits within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, where the land is jointly managed for conservation and visitor access.

Visitors take guided tours lasting about 45 minutes, navigating 500 stairs with handrails throughout the passages. The temperature stays constant year-round inside the cave, so bring a light layer to adjust comfortably as you walk.

The thermal pool beside the cave is fed by water that falls as rain on the surrounding hills, sinks through cracks in the rock, is heated deep underground and rises again at about 28 °C. Its warmth comes from this deep circulation rather than from volcanic activity.