Buchan Caves

The Buchan caves formed over hundreds of thousands of years as underground rivers dissolved limestone laid down when the area was seabed, and two of them, Royal and Fairy, are shown on guided tours through chambers of stalactites, columns, rimstone pools and flowstone. Royal Cave is known for its calcite-rimmed pools, Fairy Cave for its dense decoration. Tours run several times daily and are timed. Above ground, the reserve holds a spring-fed pool built in the 1930s, walking tracks, kangaroos on the lawns and a campground. The area was in the middle of the 2019 to 2020 bushfires and the town and reserve took damage, since repaired.

What you actually see

• Royal Cave - calcite-rimmed pools and flowstone on the guided route.
• Fairy Cave - densely decorated chambers of stalactites and columns.
• The spring-fed pool - the 1930s swimming pool in the reserve.
• The reserve grounds - kangaroos, walking tracks and camping above the caves.

When to go

October to April for the pool and the surroundings; the caves hold a constant cool temperature year-round, around fifteen degrees. Tours run daily on a fixed timetable and should be booked in holidays. Winter in East Gippsland is cold and wet.

Honest expectations

Cave access is by guided tour only at set times, with steps and low sections. Photography is allowed but tripods are not. The area is remote, and services in Buchan village are limited. Bushfire and flood have closed roads here in recent years.

Nearby

Snowy River National Park lies north; Lakes Entrance and the coast are south.