After closing for safety reasons, Buchan Munji or the Buchan Caves Reserve in Gippsland has reopened just in time for the Easter holidays. The area has been closed since Boxing Day, when over 60 millimetres of rain fell in 30 minutes and caused major damage. This flash flood inundated roads, bridges and infrastructure, and over 250 tonnes of debris were cleared away during the initial clean-up.
Thankfully, the area is now open for the holidays, with bookings available for cave tours, the campground and the historic Caves House. The pool is available for a refreshing swim, and most roads and walking paths are open with some changed conditions. After the holiday period, there will be a temporary closure needed to permanently repair the roads.
Buchan Caves
Drive out to East Gippsland, roughly 4.5 hours away from Melbourne, and discover Victoria’s largest cave system. Located underneath a forest floor, you’ll find Buchan Caves, a spectacular network of ancient limestone formations. This subterranean system was carved by an underground river almost 400 million years ago.
Book a guided tour, and explore Fairy Cave or Royal Cave. Within these caverns, you’ll find an ancient flowing stream, awesome stalactites and stalagmites, calcite-rimmed pools and more. Due to current works in the caves, both the Fairy and Royal Cave tours are altered, giving you more time to see visual displays that aren’t normally seen on a standard tour. If you’re wondering which tour to choose, the Fairy Cave has more stairs and more small passageways.
Guided tours must be booked online 24 hours in advance. If there’s availability, tickets can also be purchased on the day. The tours take 45 minutes to an hour, and you can’t see the caves without a guide.
What else can you do?
Located on Krauatungalung Country, Buchan Caves were traditional an important meeting place for Gunaikurnai people. It was a place to camp and meet during seasonal migrations both to and from the mountains.
You can spend the night at the Buchan Caves campground. There’s 41 powered sites and 20 powered sites. If you don’t feel like camping, you could spend the night in the historic Caves House instead.
Feeling hot? Take a dip in the beloved Buchan Pool. This historic pool features icy-cold water that comes straight from the caves.
Otherwise, stretch your legs and go on one of the nearby walking trails, and keep a lookout for local wildlife. You can also enjoy a leisurely picnic on the grassy reserve. This area is also a great place to admire the autumn leaves.
Once the Easter school holidays are over, the reserve will be temporarily closed for road repairs. Keep an eye on the Parks Victoria website for the latest conditions and updates.