Education guide in Calgardup Cave. Photo - DBCA
The Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park’s stunning visual landscapes present a range of opportunities for nature-based education. The forests, caves, wetlands and coastal areas are home to plants, animals and landforms of high conservation value.
Our caving and abseiling program offers adventure and exploration to students from Years 2-12. Schools have the unique opportunity to undertake science, social science and outdoor education activities in these spectacular karst and forest landscapes.
Students can also experience the bush at night at one of our eight group campsites.
| Cave or abseil site | HASS Years | Science Years | Outdoor education Years |
| Calgardup Cave | 7-12 | 2-12 | 10-12 |
| Giants Cave | 7-12 | 7-12 | |
| Wilyabrup | 9-12 | ||
| Brides Cave | 9-12 | ||
| WI16 | 9-12 |
Bookings and enquiries
Abseiling and caves
Email: calgardup@dbca.wa.gov.au
Phone: 9757 7422
Campgrounds
Email: conto.campground@dbca.wa.gov.au
Phone: 9757 7422
Calgardup cave
Explore a limestone cave deep within the heart of the forest. See stunning crystal formations and an underground waterway home to an endangered community of macrofauna.
Self-guided cave experience
Calgardup is an unlit, public-access tourist cave. We supply helmets with head torches and the boardwalks throughout make Calgardup our easiest self-guided cave adventure.
Macrofauna workshops
Learn about the fundamental roles that macrofauna play in the forest ecosystem, and about the threatened community of cave fauna that depends on the forest above.
Cave biology workshop
Explore how the limestone landscapes of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge have allowed the development of specialised ecosystems that support unique communities of cave flora and fauna.
Climate and water systems
Learn about the impact of climate change and declining rainfall on cave systems. Climate scientists use data collected in caves to understand long-term changes to the environment and how changing rainfall patterns might impact on human communities
Giants cave
Follow the path of a vanished underground waterway beneath Boranup Forest, where you’ll see a series of vast chambers, calcified tree roots and huge crystal formations.
Self-guided cave experience
Giants is the region’s only tourist adventure cave. We supply helmets and lights and you’ll descend into the depths to experience challenges like vertical ladders and rock scrambles, before emerging into the forest on the other side of Caves Road.
Leadership and team building
Giants Cave offers an awe-inspiring location for school groups working on leadership and team building. Students encounter a series of challenges as they move through the cave, along a marked trackway designed as a medium-level adventure tourism experience.
Abseiling
Choose from a range of abseil opportunities, from majestic coastal cliffs to the caves of Boranup Forest. There are sites to suit every level from beginner to advanced.
Abseil instructors need to be registered on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Cave and Abseil Permit System. For more information, enquire at Calgardup Cave on 9757 7422, or email calgardup@dbca.wa.gov.au. We can also provide contact details for local commercial operators.
Calgardup Cave Pipe
A medium-level solution pipe entry directly into the chambers of the cave.
Giants Cave
Discover two newly developed descents into the legendary doline entrance, one an easy face for beginners and the other medium level.
Wilyabrup
The spectacular sea cliffs at Wilyabrup offer a choice of descents, from beginners to advanced.
WI16
A secluded cliff face close to Giants Cave in Boranup, with a choice of beginner and medium level descents.
Brides Cave
A slightly more advanced descent into a spectacular doline in Boranup, with a limestone cave to explore at the bottom.
Cave trip leader courses
Becoming a qualified cave trip leader means that you can lead groups into Giants, Calgardup, and a number of adventure caves via the Cave Permit System. Cave trip leaders use their own gear, or helmets and lights can be hired from Calgardup or Giants Cave. Having your own qualified cave trip leader means that you can also access our tourist caves after hours.
Trip leader courses are run periodically. For more information enquire at Calgardup Cave at calgardup@dbca.wa.gov.au
Campgrounds
Parks and Wildlife Service manages eight public campgrounds in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste and Blackwood River national parks: Conto, Point Road, Jarrahdene, Boranup, Sues Bridge, Warner Glen/Chapman Pool, Barrabup Pool, Workmans Pool and Wrights Bridge. There are also campsites along the Cape to Cape Track and the Blackwood River.
To make a booking or enquire, email conto.campground@dbca.wa.gov.au
Cape to Cape Track
The Cape to Cape Track is a 130km coastal walk trail between the lighthouses at the capes for which Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is named.
The free overnight campsites on the track can be used by schools, but prior notification is required for track management purposes. See the ‘Groups on the track’ section of the Cape to Cape Track webpage.
