Bungonia is one of NUCC’s favoured haunts, with many dry, vertical caves — good for advanced rope-work, but with beginner-friendly caves too. There’s also fantastic bushwalking, canyoning, canoeing and climbing here, though the caves are the important bit. Caves regularly visited include Drum, Blowfly, Grill, Argyle Hole, Canberra-Steampipe, B4-5 (Fossil Cave-Hogans Hole), Acoustic Pot and Hollands Hole.
Getting there
It’s only a 1.5 hour drive from Canberra to Bungonia, making it a very popular day trip. No permits are required — just log your intentions at the NPWS office. The fastest route skips Goulburn town itself: exit left off the highway, cross back over it at the roundabout, then follow Garroorigang Road, Braidwood Road, Brisbane Grove Road and Windellama Road through to Mountain Ash Road and on to Bungonia township, from where the National Park (and the caves) is signposted. There’s also a back route via Tarago for those who like a dirt road in the mix.
Facilities
Bungonia has a glamorous camping area with hot showers, flush toilets and gas cooking facilities — no fireplaces though, so bring warm sleeping gear in winter. Most caves have tracks to them and the surrounding bush is easy walking. Bring a cigarette lighter: several caves, including the popular Grill Cave, can carry dangerous levels of foul air (CO₂).