Outdoor providers could be your best introduction...
My recommendation to a lot of people is actually to start caving with a commercial provider or outdoor recreation business. They will give you a gentle introduction to caving, organise everything for you, provide good gear, and give you a taste of what it's all about. Most importantly, they will be very attentive to your safety so you'll enjoy the experience more knowing you are safe.
The commercial groups usually frequent Britannia Creek and Labertouche which are two granite caves near Melbourne. However, if you pay a bit more you can go to Buchan or Wee Jasper. They are not cheap but their experience, good equipment, general caving knowledge, and often transport and lunch make it worthwhile.
While there is no affiliation or sponsorship, the author personally recommends David Chitty's organisation 'Adventure Guides Australia'. As he is not an official sponsor of Under-Victoria, I cannot supply his information, but he is easily located. He has been running outdoor adventures for years and will cater a trip to your needs. It’s my personal opinion that Adventure Guides Australia is the best commercial caving operator in Victoria. However, there are other providers who I am sure are just as competent and if you read the below you can research it yourself.
Anonymous caver abseiling. Most outdoor rec companies will take you abseiling at this very spot if you request it, including David Chitty's organistation Adventure Guides Australia. Caving ropework gets quite technical and involved - its more than just going up and down. Photo by Topaz Aral.
If you want a one-off thrill weekend, go for an outdoor rec.
Most caving clubs do not want people who are caving to tick it off their list of extreme sports with sky diving and bungee jumping. Clubs only want people with a genuine interest in going underground, who are fit and able and enthusiastic, and will come back and eventually contribute to the club. When a club senses it is a one-off thrill seeker they are usually directed to a commercial outfit. Most if not all clubs run trips with or for beginners, and are not generally paid for their time, so you can understand the frustration of spending huge amounts of time for individuals who don't ever cave again. In my experience its only around one in twenty beginners who come back and cave regularly for a significant period of time - and interestingly you can usually tell who will come back after only 30 minutes underground with them in their first cave - once you know what to look for you identify the keepers very very quickly.
SO... How do I choose which one to go with? Easy.....
There are many outdoor rec companies who will take you underground, but here are the questions you need to ask when choosing one:
What gear do you supply? What qualifications does the leader have? Do you provide transport to and from the caves and lunch? How long have you been running this trip for?
As mentioned in a lot of this site, it comes back to the ASF Caving Standards, all available on their site.
If you are really keen to vet any commercial caving provider, then you need to look at the Victorian Adventure Activity Standards specific to recreational caving. These and an absolute gold mine of other information on outdoor recreation can be found at http://www.orc.org.au. The AAS Victorian Caving document details everything that a caving provider should be on top of to meet these standards, and any outdoor provider should be able to meet everything in the document. Further to that they should be very aware of these documents and be able to tell you off the top of their heads what the documents main points are.
In my first trip into Labertouche the so-called leader got completely lost and we had to sit, cold and wet for 20 minutes while he tried to find the way. Not fun. To top it off we had been given hand-held dolphin torches, which is ludicrous - when caving you need both hands free, for climbing and crawling etc, and he was charging $180 for the experience. My advice is to ask the above questions and shop around.
University Outdoor/Caving Clubs - A potential winner
If you are a university student of one of the larger well-known universities then I can guarantee that your university’s outdoors club goes caving at least once a year. Often more than once. I have seen Monash Uni, RMIT, Melbourne Uni and Latrobe Uni groups at Buchan on multiple occasions. At the end of 2020 I know that RMIT Outdoors Club are about to become an ASF member, and they are doing loads of caving in Buchan.
The uni clubs have a bad reputation with some people in Buchan due to several alleged incidents over the past decade. Nothing has been proven or admitted, though so I won't say any more on that, and it’s all water under a bridge anyway. The uni clubs also often camp in the reserve, or stay in other accommodation such as Limestone Lodge instead of going to Homeleigh. Make sure you still use the intentions board at Homeleigh though - that is for everyone.
University Clubs are a great and cheap way to do your first caving. They probably won’t have the same in-depth knowledge about Buchan and it’s history, but that doesn’t matter if you are just starting out. My first Buchan trip was with RMIT, and I never looked back.
Give it a shot!
Give it a shot! I can pretty much guarantee a day to remember, and it might just change your life! The caves that the commercial vendors go to (being Labertouche and Britannia Creek) are just the very tip of the iceberg. They are granite and as such have no decoration (apart from glow worms) but if you find yourself loving it, make it a priority to contact your local club asap and tee up a trip to a limestone caving area.
It’s a 4.5 to 5 hour drive from Melbourne to Buchan. Getting away from Melbourne after work by 6 means you're not there til after 11pm. Its dark. You're tired. It’s been a long week. Pitching a tent is the last thing you want to do! But you don't have to, because there is Homeleigh.
Homeleigh is the heart and soul of caving in Buchan!
Homeleigh is the name of the cottage/lodge owned by the 'Rimstone' Co-Operative. From the early caving days in Buchan there was a rough shack they would bed down in called the ‘Top Hut’, but it was pretty grim. So, in the seventies a group of cavers got together and bought the building which was the original Buchan Pub and Hotel some 30 years beforehand. It was in terrible condition! They got it to a liveable state and since then they have been slowly renovating it. When I first went there in 2000 it was pretty rough. But these days it is really comfy, especially in the lounge room at the front with a fireplace and couches.
It sleeps something like 60 people at full capacity, with extra room on the property for tents and vans if needed. It has two kitchens, with four fridges. It has a large dining room with a wood fired heater which is GREAT in Winter. It has a large toilet and shower block with 6 showers and men’s/women's toilets, and a washing machine. There are two standalone bungalows for couples (or individuals) that want some privacy. And out the back is a bath tub and hose for washing down your gear at the end of the weekend.
So how does it work?
Rimstone still exists and is stronger than ever with many members, including a lot of individuals and families who used to be cavers, but have given up caving but still come and stay due to the amount of natural attractions in the area (Lakes Entrance, Snowy River, Caves Reserve Walks, The Show Caves, Fishing in the rivers, scenic driving, four wheel driving, etc). So, to become a member you purchase $100 worth of shares in the Rimstone Co-Operative. They are yours. Then you pay a $50 joining fee, and then $50 a year after that. So initially it is $200 outlay, then just $50 a year. However, it halves the price of staying. For visitors it is $25 a night for individuals, and for Rimstone Members is it $12.50 a night. Other prices are in place for families.
One condition:
To stay at Homeleigh there must be a Rimstone Member present. His or her role is to collect the fees, and supervise the cleaning process at the end of the weekend, allocating jobs and quality controlling everything. If you are caving regularly it pays for itself pretty quickly. There are guests there probably three weekends out of four, especially in the warmer months and public holidays, but it’s rarely full and you almost always have your own room.
There are many different configurations of rooms with everything from a 12 bed dorm, to 6 bed family rooms, to queen size bed rooms. The accommodation has to be booked at least 2 or 3 days in advance by email. The favoured method of payment is cash to the member in charge, although there are facilities for credit card, but given there is a hefty fee for using card it is discouraged. The cash is generally collected on Sunday morning. There is no ATM in town so bring cash with you. The Rimstone member that looks after the place for any given weekend is known as the MIC (Member in Charge).
For many years there was a caretaker that lived there, but Rimstone finally decided that given some minor changes, including the rule of a member being required, that the place can look after itself. It has been without a caretaker now for about 15 years without any serious incidents. Having the caretaker was nice as she was able to monitor the intentions board, but as long as you have a call out person to check in with there is no difference.
The intentions board
Homeleigh is also where the 'intentions board' is. It is at the front of the building and this is where all caving trips must be written up, including names of participants, licence plate numbers, club they belong to, which caves they are going in, and what time they are due back. However - The board is NOT regularly checked by anyone automatically, and you need to have somebody to check in with when you get out of the cave. If the intentions board has the same trip on it for a few days running it would probably be noticed but by this time it’s probably pretty serious. Always remember to rub off your intention before leaving town!
For the 'call out' person, if the party doesn't call in within a couple of hours of their intended time, simply call the police. They will do the rest. And for the people going caving - take the time you estimate you'll be out, and add three hours to it. Trips always take longer than you think. Homeleigh has 4G Telstra reception (and thus also has the other networks that piggyback off Telstra too). It does not however have a phone so bring your mobile, or alternatively use the phone booth in town.
Parking
Parking for vehicles is either out the front of the building which fits about 5 cars, two spots in front of the front bungalow and another 2 spots (in a squeeze) at the back beside the woodshed.
If you go in Summer expect bugs! Big bugs and lots of them! And if you go in Winter expect brutal cold, and sometimes in July/August the pipes freeze overnight. Heaters are banned after an electric heater tipped over and burnt the carpet, setting off the fire alarm. So, in winter just bring thermals and rug up! Pillows are provided but not bedding. There is town water and tank water, and both are perfectly fine to drink. There is also a large BBQ outside and an outdoor setting for the smokers. The river is within an easy walk of town and the river.
There are TV's installed, which is a recent addition, but they are strictly for showing caving related footage or kids entertainment. Homeleigh is about being social, not watching the tube.
To find Homeleigh, drive through the township, over the bridge (The Buchan River) and keep going about 100m and Homeleigh is the last building in town on the left-hand side. It’s a big white weatherboard building with a big veranda. There is a code on the front door to get in, which you will be given when you book in.
The Buchan Pub
It’s worth mentioning that people often opt to go to the pub for dinner on Saturday night after a big day of caving. Especially on beginner’s trips when people are meeting for the first time and have shared such an adventure together. The pub is an easy five minute walk, and does a good meal and have EFTPOS to buy meals and drinks. You can also take away alcohol and bring it back to Homeleigh if you wish.
Several times a year Rimstone gather for working bees, usually on long weekends, where everyone who can pitches in for the ongoing renovations. Even those with no handyman skills are welcome. It is by no means mandatory but its appreciated.
Homeleigh has just had a plaque installed on the limestone wall on the left-hand side of the building in memory of Agnes Milowka, Caver Diver who passed away in 2011 and was a frequent visitor to Buchan and Homeleigh.
The Rimstone web site is at: http://www.rimstone.org.au for all information including booking details.
Other options to Homeleigh
There are a few other options. There are some log cabins, a backpackers, the campground (which includes the historic 'Caves House' which has 4 bedrooms and roughly 10 beds). Unfortunately the camp ground was affected by the fires in 2020, and the cabins and eco-tents burnt down, and the Corona Virus meant that there wasn't the demand to warrant rebuilding them yet. However, I'm sure when it's possible there will be new tents and cabins.
There is now a second campground that was previously called Stonehenge Farmstay Camping, but I believe this is now called Stockman's Camp. Scouts and Venturers now stay here as it is a bit more affordable. I believe there are a few different options there, so worth getting in touch if you can't stay at Homeleigh.
Very often the very big groups camp at the reserve, including university clubs, school trips, etc. I don't know exactly why this is the tradition - perhaps it’s just easier for everyone to be independent in a tent and not have to monitor the guests treating Homeleigh with respect.
If you do stay at Homeleigh and have a boozy night at the pub, please remember to be quiet walking back. It’s a small town and the locals have had a couple of incidents including drunk cavers letting horses out of paddocks and other acts of minor and usually unintentional vandalism.
Proximity to the caves
Homeleigh is within 15 minutes’ drive of the main caving areas (Murrindal and East Buchan) and about 45 minutes’ drive to the more remote caving areas (The Basin, New Guinea Ridge, and others). See the caves menu for details. Most roads are either sealed, or if they are dirt then in pretty good condition and New Guinea Ridge is the only good area that really needs 4WDs for access. There is a lot of cattle grazing in the area and it is not unusual to come across herds on the roads of sheep or cows. If this occurs just stop and be patient - chances are there will be a farmer at the rear with a couple of dogs moving them along.
A warning - don't leave valuables in view when you park at the caving sites. There has been more than a few break ins. Generally, the practice is to hide the car key somewhere discreet so that if the car owner is injured another caver can drive the car back to Buchan to get help. And make sure Homeleigh is all locked up when you leave in the morning. Theft is very rare but can happen.
So thats Homeleigh and Buchan
It’s a tough little country town. The local footy team are called the Cave Men. The farmers are hard as nails but as down to earth as anyone you'll ever meet, and they are a close-knit group! The head ranger's father was also a ranger. And there are families who have had three generations grow up and live their whole lives there. It is a proud town with a lot of heritage.
Whilst the main income for the town is farming, but the show caves and the accommodation for visitors, the roadhouse and pub also bring in a lot of income, and the locals accept this. Unfortunately there have been many incidents over the last 30 odd years, almost all the landowners with caves on their properties don't allow access to passing cavers. VSA is actively working on this and is making progress, but it is so essential that all cavers who visit Buchan behave. One incident can cause years of acrimony. Don't trespass. Close any gates you open. Don't be rowdy late at night. Just the basic common-sense things.
The local club VLCT are well liked and trusted so they generally have access to everything. But VLCT are more of a friendship group and won't necessarily take total strangers caving, especially onto land that is for locals only.
You will love Buchan, it really is lovely. Even if there were no caves it would still be a special place! Enjoy!