Blanche Cave was the first of the Naracoorte Caves to be discovered, in the mid 1840s.  During the latter half of the ninetenth century, the large, stone-canopied entrance of Blanche Cave was used as a venue for extravagant parties.  It was here that the first Pleistocene bones were found, in 1859.  However, the bones recovered from Blanche Cave are very few by comparison to the enormous number within Victoria Fossil Cave.

    Other caves at the park include Alexandra Cave, Wet Cave, and Bat Cave.  Alexandra Cave has a high ceiling from which hang numerous stalactites.  In places, mirror images of these formations can be seen in the pools of crystal clear water below them.  When the sea level rose during the Early Pleistocene (approximately 1.2 million years ago) the Naracoorte caves were inundated, and many of the original cave formations dissolved. Both the Alexandra and Blanche caves enlarged somewhat during this time.  Remnants of the more ancient speleothems can still be seen within each.  Bat Cave is named for its colony of many thousands of Southern bent-wing bats (Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii), which use the cave as their maternity chamber.  In the summer months, when the bat population in the cave reaches as high as an estimated 250,000 individuals, visitors can observe the bats as they make their nightly exit in search of insect prey.  Infrared cameras have been installed in the cave, so that visitors can see the animals during the day from a Bat Observation Centre without causing them any disturbance.

The Visitor Centre:

    The Visitor Centre is a place where guests to the park can become familiar with the story of the Naracoorte Caves, and the important part that Victoria Fossil Cave has played in increasing our understanding of the Australian Pleistocene.

    On display at the centre are fossils from the site, maps, charts, dioramas and various exhibits describing how the caves were formed, the geology of the area, and the deposition of the sediments and bones in Victoria Fossil Cave.  In 1998, the Visitor Centre was completely rebuilt through a three million dollar renovation which incorporates a reconstruction of the extinct animals and their environment.  The life reconstructions are animatronic models, including Diprotodon, Palorchestes, Procoptodon, Thylacinus, Thylacoleo, Zygomaturus and Wonambi.

    Shown below is a composite skeleton of Thylacoleo carnifex partially embedded in cave earth.  This replica was created by making casts of bones from various Thylacoleo specimens found in Victoria Fossil Cave.  Any bones needed for the skeleton which could not be cast from originals were sculpted by extrapolating their proper size and form through study of the existing skeletal elements.

    Since the time of my 1996 visit, the Naracoorte Caves have become a National Park.  Please see the Naracoorte Caves National Park web site for additional information.