Mole Creek Karst National Park

The limestone belt around Mole Creek holds more than three hundred known caves, and two are open on guided tours. Marakoopa, whose name comes from an Aboriginal word for handsome, has two underground streams, large chambers and a glow-worm display considered among the best in Australia, with the ceiling of one chamber lit by thousands of larvae. King Solomons Cave is smaller and more densely decorated, with calcite formations coloured by iron oxides. Tours run daily to a set timetable from the park office. Above ground, the Great Western Tiers rise behind, and the area's caves continue to be explored by speleologists, with new systems mapped regularly.

What you actually see

• The Marakoopa glow worms - a chamber ceiling lit by thousands of larvae.
• King Solomons Cave - dense calcite decoration coloured by iron.
• The underground streams - water running through the Marakoopa system.
• The Great Western Tiers - the escarpment rising above the karst.

When to go

Year-round; caves hold a constant nine degrees, so a jacket is needed in any season. Tours run daily on a timetable and book out in school holidays. Glow worms are visible year-round in the dark chamber.

Honest expectations

Access is by guided tour only, at fixed times, with steps and low sections. The two caves are separate tours with separate tickets. Photography is limited in the glow-worm chamber, where light disturbs the larvae.

Nearby

Mole Creek village is close; Cradle Mountain lies west and Deloraine east.