Chillagoe Caves

Chillagoe sits in dry savannah country beyond the Tablelands, where a belt of limestone laid down as a coral reef around four hundred million years ago now stands in weathered grey bluffs above the plain, riddled with caves. Rangers guide tours through Donna, Trezkinn and Royal Arch caves, each different: chambers of formations, roof openings letting light and vines down into the dark, and passages that open onto the surface. Several other caves can be entered unguided with a torch. Above ground, the ruins of the state-owned copper and lead smelter, closed in 1943, stand as tall chimneys and slag heaps, and Aboriginal rock art sites lie nearby.

What you actually see

• The guided caves - Donna, Trezkinn and Royal Arch on ranger-led tours.
• The limestone bluffs - weathered grey towers rising from the savannah.
• The smelter ruins - chimneys and slag from the state smelter closed in 1943.
• The self-guided caves - open caves entered with a torch.

When to go

April to September; the wet season brings heat, humidity and roads that can be cut by flooding. Tours run to a daily schedule and should be confirmed at the visitor centre. Winter days are warm and clear.

Honest expectations

Chillagoe is remote, with limited fuel, food and accommodation, and the drive from Cairns takes around three and a half hours. Caves involve steps, ladders and confined passages. Summer heat outside is severe, and the self-guided caves require your own torch and care.

Nearby

Mareeba and the Tablelands lie east; the Gulf Savannah continues west.