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Cave tours in Newdegate Cave, Hastings Caves State Reserve
Newdegate Cave tour (photograph: Alastair Bett)
World Heritage Area logo

Hastings Caves State Reserve

Magical dolomite cave and thermal springs.

Find out more

FeaturesExpand/Collapse

  • Access friendly
  • Barbecues
  • Cafe
  • Caving
  • Park ranger
  • Parking
  • Picnic facilities
  • Short walk
  • Swimming
  • Toilets
  • Visitor centre
  • World Heritage Area

ContactExpand/Collapse

  • Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs
    754 Hastings Caves Road, Hastings TAS 7109
    Postal: c/- 22 Main Street
    Huonville TAS 7109
    Phone: 03 6298 3209
    Email: HastingsCaves@parks.tas.gov.au

    ​Visitor centre opening hours
    10am – 4pm open 7 days

About

The magical underground world of Hastings Caves will open your eyes to what lies beneath the picturesque Tasmanian landscape. The mystery of these Tasmanian c​aves is revealed beneath a dense green forest and ferny glades. The spacious dolomite cave system is a labyrinth of chambers, richly decorated and cleverly lit to highlight ancient subterranean formations.

Newdegate Cave is the largest dolomite tourist cave in Australia. Its vast chambers began to form more than 40 million years ago.

Back on the surface, you can relax in the swimming pool, which is fed by mineral-rich thermal springs. Experience warm thermal pool water that remains 28 degrees, year-round. 

Explore the Hastings Caves State Reserve further on the two easy walking trails, pack a picnic, or enjoy a barbecue with friends and family in the lovely forest surrounds. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the native wildlife that share this forest, including platypus, quolls, pademelons and birds​.

​For tour times, costs and bookings see Hastings Cave and Thermal Springs. 

Guided cave tours run hourly. Buy your tickets at the Hastings Visitor Centre before your tour. 

Bookings are only needed for:

  • ​ commercial groups
  • educational groups
  • for groups of 12 or more people in one party. 

Bookings are not needed for the thermal pool.

Hastings Cave (Newdegate Cave) is home to a number of strange and fascinating animals. More than 40 species have been discovered and new ones are still being found. Many are so adapted to life underground they have neither eyes nor pigment, and have developed unusually long antennae.  Symphyla (Hanseniella magna) grow to only 10mm and are often are mistaken for millipedes. They are blind but scuttle about the cave feeding on soil microbes.

Species of cave harvestman spiders (Hickmanoxyomma cavatictim) and cave beetles (Idacarabus cordicollis) are unique to the Hasting area.  Cave crickets shelter in the cracks and crevices around the entrance of Newdegate Cave. Occasionally, when weather conditions are favourable, they forage for food in the adjacent forest.

The Tasmanian endemic mountain shrimp (Anaspides spp.) is commonly encountered in streams and pools of the Hastings cave system. When it was discovered in Tasmania in the late 19th century, the only records were from fossilised specimens dating back from about 270 million years ago.  

For more information on our wildlife please see Tasmania's wildlife.

Visit our caring for wildlife page for more information on interacting with and protecting our native animals.

Hastings Caves State Reserve is within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area​ - a place of profound significance to today's Tasmanian Aboriginal community due to the cultural heritage that is found here. Newdegate Cave was named after Sir Francis Newdegate, the Governor of Tasmania from 1917-1920. The wet sclerophyll forest around the cave was being harvested when the entrance was uncovered by a gang of tree fellers in 1916-1917. There is evidence of early logging techniques on tree stumps along the forest walk to the cave.

Local entrepreneurs began guiding trips into the cave in 1919 and the area was proclaimed a scenic reserve a few years later.  A government-led job creation program developed the access road, thermal pool and internal cave infrastructure – including timber staircases, a walkway and lighting – during the 1930s Depression. While upgrades have occurred regularly since then, the town of Hastings​​ is shadow of its former self. At its peak it had a port, a sawmill and homes for the many timber workers living in the area.

Buy a map from TasMap

​​​​​Hastings Caves State Reserve is 105 kilometres (1 hour and 45 minutes) from Hobart's city centre.  

Take the Southern Outlet (A6) towards Huonville. Follow the A6 for 93 Km passing through Huonville, Geeveston and Dover.

Turn right at the Southport turn-off onto Hastings Caves Road (C635). After 4.2 Km, turn right and follow the sealed road for 3.3 Km to the Hastings Visitor Centre. ​

There are areas with no connectivity (black spots) and the GPS may not provide accurate guidance in these areas, please follow the road signs.​


Where possible, please avoid driving in our reserves at night. You are sharing the roads with our native wildlife, so take it slow and watch out for animals on the road.

Guided cave tours run hourly. Buy your tickets at the Hastings Visitor Centre before your tour. 
Bookings are only needed for:

  • commercial groups
  • educational groups
  • for groups of 12 or more people in one party.

Bookings are not needed for the thermal pool.​

Please arrive and check-in at the Visitor Centre 45 minutes before the advertised or booked tour time.  After check-in there is a further 5km drive and then a 200m walk to reach the cave entrance where the tour begins.   

Cave tour fees apply.  A parks pass is not required at Hastings Caves, you will require a pass if visiting a national park.

Sturdy shoes and warm clothing are recommended for cave tours.   Pool users should wear swimming costumes, or shorts and tee shirts.  Please consider sun protection.

Dogs are not allowed in the Reserve.

To protect the cave environment, backpacks, selfie sticks, tripods, food and drinks are not allowed in the cave.​

The swimming area is set in a lush forest glade, picnic facilities and barbecues are available.  Electric barbecues turn off 30 minutes prior to closing time.   No portable cooking devices are allowed (Webber​ barbeques, gas or electric cookers.)

Light takeaway snacks, coffee and souvenirs are available at the Visitor Centre.​​​   

​Find out other essential information for visiting Tasmania's parks and reserves on our know before you go section.

​​​​​The visitor centre and café are fully accessible, as are the toilets. Wheelchair users may need assistance to reach the thermal springs. The pool has steps and a handrail. The change rooms and toilets are accessible, but wheelchair users may require assistance with the showers. There are picnic sites including sheltered tables and barbeques. 

The Platypus walk is a lovely 5 to 10 minute track through the forest behind the pool. This wide, boardwalked track is wheelchair-friendly. 

There are guided tours of Newdegate Cave, but the path and cave contain stairs and low lighting, unsuitable for most mobility impaired people.


Experiences in Hastings Caves State Reserve

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Hastings Caves State Reserve has something for everyone. Tour the caves, swim in the thermal springs, wander the short walks and picnic with the family.

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