Palona Cave in the Royal National Park

Palona Cave is located in the Royal National Park and can be reached by starting from the gate at the southern end of Lady Carrington Drive.

Once on Lady Carrington Drive head north until you hit a sign stating limestone cave. It is likely to take at least 30 minutes to walk from the gate to this sign.

The sign is on your left and easily missed so be vigilant.

After a gradual ascent along a narrow fern enclosed track you will reach Palona Cave which is one of many sandstone rock formations at the top of the valley.

Palona Cave is not your average cave with stalactites and stalagmites.

Both of these formations are known as speleothems, which also include other shapes such as flowstones.

Without overdoing the technical side of things the formations have come about from groundwater that has seeped along the bedding plane of the cliff above the cave.

This water has absorbed small amounts of lime. The water drips into the cave leaving residual lime after evaporation on either the floor of the cave or the point from where it entered the cave.

Over much time the residual limestone forms stalagmites and stalactites.

The stalagmites and stalactites at Palona Cave have emerged from a sandstone cave and not a limestone cave, as is normally the case.

The formations at Palona Cave do not have the classic beauty of formations at limestone caves such as Jenolan Caves and look like they could do with a good clean to remove dirt, dust, cobwebs and moss.

Close to the cave is a waterfall.

The last photo is taken from the creek above the waterfall although it is a difficult clamber to reach. Probably not worth the effort, just look at the photo and be happy.

If you want to see something unusual in a cave then Palona Cave is your place!

If you would like to increase the walk into something more serious (3hrs plus) add in the forest track in as well.