If you’re prone to carsickness, a trip to Australia’s Jenolan Caves may not be for you. The road leading into the Jenolan Caves is a winding, up, down, narrow jumble of twists and turns that can leave even the calmest passenger feeling a bit nauseated. Travelling into the valley with just a sliver of pavement to follow and a sudden drop on my left side, I wasn’t sure whether to hide my head in the backseat or press my face to the window so I could take in the gorgeous view of the Blue Mountains region below me.

The Jenolan Caves are a mere three hours from Sydney, but they feel a million miles away. Heading inland, away from the breezy coast and into the heavy heat of the interior, passing along the gorgeous bush of the Blue Mountains, it’s easy to feel like you’re venturing into uncharted territory; well, that is if you ignore the scads of tourists and vacationing Sydneysiders that the area attracts during peak season.

New South Wales’ Jenolan Caves are the most famous limestone caves in Australia, and are made up of an intricate web of narrow passageways, underground rivers, natural arches, and dramatic stalactites and stalagmites. Walking through them feels like you’re venturing deep within the earth and back in time, which in a way, you are.

While the Jenolan Caves had been known to the Aboriginals for thousands of years (as “Binoomea,” meaning “Dark Places”), it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that formal exploration began by European settlers, under government control. Since then, dozens of caves have been uncovered, but much of the area remains unexplored and it’s unknown how many other caves may exist within the system. The Jenolan Caves are considered to be incredibly old; a 2006 study published in the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences showed that the caves date back 340 million years – making them the oldest cave system in the world.

Human impact on the caves is a constant concern, and for that reason, many caves have limits on how many people can visit per day, month, or even per year. The Mammoth Cave has a maximum of 10 people per month, and the Naked Lady Chamber allows only 16 people per year to pass through.

There are 11 “show caves” including the Orient Cave, Temple of Baal, Pool of Cerberus, Imperial Cave and Lucas Cave, all of which have fairly easy walking paths, staircases, handrails and electric lighting. For the more adventurous there is adventure caving. These Jenolan Cave tours will have you crawling and squeezing your way through narrow, undeveloped caves with only a headlamp to light your way.

When to go to Jenolan Caves

The best time to take a Jenolan Cave tour is during the spring and fall, although visiting at any time of year is possible. The summer can bring oppressive heat and the nearby town of Katoomba has been known to get snow in winter, so climate-wise, April/May and September/October are your best bets. (For you northern hemisphere folks, remember that summer and winter months are reversed when down under.)

During holidays, Jenolan and the Blue Mountains are a popular family daytrip from Sydney and Canberra. If you want to avoid the crowds, go while school’s still in.

For the month of May, Jenolan hosts an annual Underworld Annual History Festival, when “dead” characters return to life and lead touists on historical walking tours through the caves.

Odds n’ ends

• There are no fuel stations at Jenolan. When travelling from Sydney, the last service station is at Mount Victoria or Lithgow. When travelling from Bathurst or Canberra, the last service station is at Oberon or Bathurst.
• The narrow road into the Jenolan valley becomes one-way between 11:45 am to 1:15 pm to allow coaches to enter the property. Visitors wishing to leave the caves during that time can take Oberon Road.
• Because the area is so popular, and because some caves have restrictions on visitors, it’s best to book in advance. Either arrive and book your tours early in the morning before the best caves are claimed, or, if there’s a rare cave you’re eager to see, check ahead that it’s available and book it well before you arrive.
• You can also time your trip to coincide with a Jenolan Cave concert. On select Saturday’s in the Cathedral Chamber you can enjoy the sounds of classical music resounding off the caverns walls.

This article originally appeared on thecircumference.org.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons