Kelly Hill Caves

Kelly Hill Caves is something I think of a hidden gem on Kangaroo Island. Although a fantastic tourist destination and one which should definitely be on the to do list, I find that for some visitors it is often over looked.

Located on the south coast rode in between Seal Bay and Flinders Chase – the caves offer an exciting underground exploration of dazzling limestone stalagmites and stalactites. With tours running throughout the day again the guides are full of fascinating information regarding the early formation and discovery of the caves.  It was in fact in the 1880’s that an unfortunate horse named Kate Kelly is said to have fallen in to the cave – luckily her rider survived yet the same cannot be said for the horse. Therefore the naming of the caves as ‘Kelly Hill’ is in commemoration of a loyal stead.

For those that experience any fear of darkness and or enclosed spaces this is not something for you – however for those really adventurous types then I would recommend not only the guided tour but also Adventure Caving.  Following the 45 minute regular tour Adventure Caving takes you on a 2 hour excavation of the caves and a real chance to explore what lies beneath! Armed with a hard hat and head lamp one squeezes and climbs into the smallest of gaps and discovers even more wondrous sights below. I had a fantastic guide in Mary who was able to impart on us a wealth of knowledge and detail of the caves.  I stress again this is not for the faint hearted but if you do get the chance a wonderful experience and definitely one of my highlights of the island so far. 

(The rather grainy picture above was taken by a lovely boy called Ben who very kindly offered to take a picture on his iphone as I stupidly forgot to take my camera when going Adventure caving. Both Ben and his father were great caving partners and I am very grateful to them for this shot!)