The Canberra Speleological Society Inc. (CSS) is a sports club based in Canberra, Australia. Although not large by global standards, the caves near the Australian Capital Territory boast beautiful decorations, unique speleological features, and provide a habitat for cave-dwelling bats and other fauna. The CSS was formed in 1954 and has been engaged in recreational caving and research ever since.
The CSS holds monthly meetings at various venues in central Canberra, which are subject to change, so it is advisable to check the meeting page for the latest information. The club has an active Trip Calendar where members can find details about upcoming caving and other excursions. Interested individuals from the public are welcome to contact the CSS if they would like to join a cave exploration trip.
Club trips take place throughout the year, typically featuring two or three trips per month. These trips are usually organised within a three-hour drive from Canberra and cater to a range of difficulty levels. Some trips are suitable for families and involve easy walks in small cave areas, while others require more advanced cave exploration skills and longer times underground. The CSS also emphasises conservation efforts, regularly conducting cave cleaning in local caves that have suffered from human interaction.
Additionally, CSS members participate in surveying and tagging new cave locations, as the club has primary responsibility for these tasks in the ACT region.
Annually, interested members of the CSS embark on major caving expeditions to explore caves in remote areas both in Australia and overseas. Past expeditions have included trips to the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand.
It's important to note that while there are a number of publicly accessible caves near Canberra suitable for all ages and abilities, wild caving is typically a challenging and physically demanding activity. Participants should be prepared to crawl, squeeze, swim, abseil, prussik, ladder, and climb through tight passages, underground river systems, and cave shafts. However, the effort is often rewarded with the incredible sights of beautifully shaped passages and cave decorations such as stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, rimstone pools, shawls, and flowstone. There is also the thrilling possibility of discovering a new cave or exploring uncharted passages, as new discoveries are still being made in the local regions.
The Canberra Speleological Society Inc. has made significant contributions to the exploration and preservation of caves in the Australian Capital Territory. Interested individuals can find more information, including contact details, on their website at css. caves.
org. au.