One of the Australian Capital Territories’ main tourist attractions, the National Dinosaur Museum explains evolution through the use of fossils and interactive displays. Animatronics and recreated landscapes bring the displays to life, adding a lot of fun to the museum.
Outside the museum, a dinosaur-themed playground keeps the kids entertained, a life size Triceratops greets you at the entrance.
Life Size Triceratops outside the National Dinosaur Museum
Laid out chronologically, the displays take you though the evolution of life. Starting with invertebrates, displays of trilobites and giant scorpions explain some of the earlier life forms. Many of the displays are casts (these are clearly marked), but some are original. Even so, there is a great range of them.
Invertebrates
TrilobiteGiant Scorpion
Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Reptiles
The main focus of the museum is dinosaurs, with this section being the largest. Life-size recreations of pterodactyls fly overhead as you go up the stairs. Displays of life size models and skeletons follow, including T-Rex and carnotaurus. Many of these are surrounded by dioramas, giving more context to the display, rather than simply sitting on a display stand.
The stegosaurus display includes a side-by-side comparison of the skeleton and recreated model. This is great because many museums show only one or the other and not both.
Following the dinosaurs, displays of mammals include a giant sloth, sabre tooth tiger and a mammoth skeleton. It was surprising to see how large the sloth was, having never seen one of these before.
Giant Sloth Mammoth and Geodes
Evolution of Mankind
The final fossil section traced the evolution of our own species from “Lucy” and homo habilis to the Neanderthals.
The final area of the museum contains amethyst geodes. These are huge, making a great display around the mammoth.
A gift shop sells all sorts of dinosaur related merchandise, including models, fridge magnets and books. Especially interesting, were the fossils and gemstones for sale.
So, if you have an interest in dinosaurs, or have kids, this is a great visit. As Australia does not have many dinosaur fossils of its own (most are in Queensland), many are casts, but they are still a great display.
Amethyst Geode
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Hit by the triple disasters of bushfires, floods and Covid, our visit to Wombeyan Caves was not as extensive as we planned. The fires of 2020 damaged the surrounding country severely, removing much of the vegetation. The heavy rain and floods that followed resulted in land slips and damage to all walking tracks. Entry to the Caves has been restricted by Covid positive visitors and most are closed.
However, we were fortunate that the Wollondilly cave reopened the day we arrived, and Fig Tree Cave had remained open. Our planned two-day visit to see three cave systems and walk some of the bush tracks reduced to one guided cave tour and a self-guided trip.
Getting There
The road into the Caves was very narrow at times making us pleased we did not meet any oncoming traffic. Although the road is being repaired and upgraded it will be some time before it is totally fixed.
Accommodation
Camp sites for caravans and tents along with cooking facilities are managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife. Booking is essential because only limited spaces are available.
Additionally, onsite self-contained cabins and the old post office are available. Again, bookings are essential due to high demand.
We stayed overnight in one of the onsite cabins which although basic was clean and comfortable. With power, air conditioning and cooking facilities, it had everything we needed for a one-night stay. Renovations to the kiosk mean you need to bring all your own food and drinks, because nothing is available at the campgrounds. Remember to bring your own bed linen and pillows too, as these are not provided in the cabins.
Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve
Officially proclaimed in 1865, the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve preceded the declaration of the world’s first national park at Yellowstone in 1872. Accessed from the reserve at the base of the valley the caves are in rugged but scenic country.
Surrounded by intrusive igneous rock which metamorphosed the reserve’s 420-million year old limestone into coarse crystalline marble the area has over 500 known caves.
Wollondilly Cave
Fortunately, the Wollondilly system is one of the best available, so we were very pleased to be able to see it. After buying tickets at the NPWS Office we met our guide who took us through 800m of cave.
It has 520 steps spread over five levels varying from concrete and cut marble to vertical ladders. Because the walkways are wet and slippery in places, good footwear is essential.
The tour took us through some amazing caverns, with fantastic formations. The most interesting were the rimstone pools, which look like tiny, fortified cities, although the other amazing formations are hard to beat.
Entrance to the Wollondilly CaveFig Tree Cave FormationStairs Leading Down into the Wollondilly CaveWollondilly CaveRimstone Pool Formations in the Wollondilly CaveFormations in the Wollondilly Cave
Fig Tree Cave
The Fig Tree Cave is a self-guided tour, with stopping points throughout the cave where commentary plays describing the area. Purchasing a double entry to the Fig Tree and Wollondilly Caves is cheaper than buying the two individually.
Possibly the best self-guided caves we have visited, the formations are once again amazing. During our visit, no-one else was in the cave, making it even better, especially after the commentary stopped and it was silent.
The highlight of Fig Tree is the underground river that flows through it, providing a background of noise of running water. The cave’s exit is a huge cathedral-like cavern where the river enters the cave system, before disappearing underground.
Fig Tree CaveFormations in Fig Tree CaveFig Tree CaveWombeyan Creek Flowing Through Fig Tree CaveFig Tree CaveWombeyan Creek Flowing into Fig Tree CaveWombeyan Creek Going into Fig Tree CaveExit Area of Fig Tree Cave
Wildlife and Scenery at Wombeyan Caves
The area has a large kangaroo population which spent the day lounging on the grass reserve. Around twilight, they became more active, hopping around and finding food.
The next morning, we had alpacas looking through a neighbouring fence while we ate breakfast.
If all walking tracks and caves were operating, a two or three-day stay would be needed to see them all. However, with the closures, an overnight trip was enough time to visit the two caves available. Even then the visit is remarkable and worth doing, despite the reduced activities available. We had a great time here exploring the caves.
The only downside was the access road, because it was so narrow in places.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
The Tasman Peninsula has an wonderful array of historical and natural locations explore. Containing some of Australia’s oldest convict sites, it tells the story of early colonial life while being surrounded by amazing natural beauty.
During our stay here, we visited the sites below. This is by no means all there is to see and do, as there are many more bush tracks to walk, and places to visit. We spent three days here, but could easily have taken a whole week.
Tasmania is full of natural beauty. The wind, rain and sea have combined in places to produce wonderful geological features. For the Full blog of our trip here, click this link.
To prevent escaped convicts leaving the Tasman Peninsula, a dogs were placed at the narrowest point. These vicious dogs are commemorated with a full sized bronze sculpture. Tasmania is full of natural beauty. The wind, rain and sea have combined in places to produce wonderful geological features. For the Full blog of our trip here, click this link.
Although not as popular as Port Arthur, the Coal Mine Historic Site is also an important relic of the convict past. The first coal mine in Tasmania and a place of punishment for repeat offending convicts, its ruins are worth a visit. Unlike Port Arthur, entry here is free. For the Full blog of our trip here, click this link.
Bushwalking and hiking tracks range from under an hour to several days. We chose a five hour return walk to Cape Raoul because it provided temperate rainforest, coastal views and wildlife in the one walk. For the Full blog of our trip here, click this link.
