Renowned for its spectacular caves housing Pleistocene fossils, Naracoorte is a charming town with a rich 19th-century history. It flourished as a stopover en route to the Victorian Gold Rush, with beautifully preserved Federation-era architecture still lining its streets today.
Things to do in Naracoorte
Discover the agricultural history of Naracoorte at the Sheep’s Back Wool Museum, set within an old flour mill. This award-winning museum features a unique “Robotic Shearer” that’s the culmination of 200 years of sheep shearing technology.
Stroll through Naracoorte to witness its Gold Rush-era prosperity in the intricate ironwork and stucco of the late-19th-century Commercial Bank and the limestone National Bank. Other architectural landmarks include the Gothic-style St. Andrews Presbyterian Church and the grand Victorian mansion of Struan House.
Visit the Naracoorte Caves Conservation Park, a Heritage-listed site that houses fossils dating back 170,000 years. Join a guided tour to see the magnificent stalagmites and stalactites of Alexandra Cave, then learn about the ancient megafauna that once inhabited the area in the Victoria Fossil Cave.
Birdwatchers can visit the Bool Lagoon that lies a short drive south of Naracoorte. The lagoon’s boardwalks offer fantastic vantage points for spotting sharp-tailed sandpipers, freckled ducks and pied goose, as well as South Australia’s largest ibis colony.
Getting around Naracoorte
Naracoorte is 4.5 hours’ drive from Adelaide and is connected by regular buses. The town itself is easy to explore on foot, but having your own vehicle is the most convenient way of accessing the Naracoorte Caves and Bool Lagoon.