Type

Picnic areas

Where

Bungonia National Park in Country NSW

Entry fees

Park entry fees apply

What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen

Please note

• When entering the park, register your intention at the park office visitor register
• Make sure you have a day use ticket clearly displayed in your vehicle
• The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, please be well-prepared for your visit.

De Kerrilleau picnic area, in an open woodland setting, is also the trackhead and carpark for Grill Cave, which is popular with family groups, school groups and novice cavers. For those who prefer to stay aboveground, the Green track is also accessible from De Kerrilleau.

Enjoy the picnic area’s excellent facilities, which include a shelter, gas barbecue, picnic tables and toilet block. Cook up a hearty barbecue breakfast before setting out for the day or, alternatively, return to a lentil burger for lunch or a sizzling steak for dinner as a reward for all your efforts.

Of course, you can simply spend the day at De Kerrilleau sitting under a tree finishing off a good book, daydreaming to your heart’s content, or socialising with friends and family. Look out for wallabies, lyrebirds and perhaps even a koala while you’re there. Keep your binoculars handy for bird watching, and have the camera ready for when the triumphant cavers return. After lunch, visit Adams lookout or The Lookdown lookout to take in the spectacular views.

Take a virtual tour of De Kerrilleau picnic area captured with Google Street View Trekker.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Endless caving opportunities

Known as the adventure capital of the Southern Tablelands, Bungonia is a place to really test your limits. There are around 200 wild caves in the park, many of which are open for experienced cavers to explore. For an exciting journey of waterfalls and plunge pools, Bungonia Creek and Jerrara Creek are the most popular canyoning spots. Bungonia Slot Canyon provides one of the few opportunities in Australia for climbing limestone and is as dramatic a place to scale a rock wall as its name suggests.

Once upon a time

The park lies across the traditional lands of the Njunawal tribal group, the northwest corner of the Wandandian tribal territory and the southern boundary of the Gandangara tribal group. The ridge tops were almost certainly travel routes as people shifted in accordance with the seasonal availability of food. Evidence of campsites exists on the main plateau and limestone dolines contain edible plants consumed or used by Aboriginal people.

One of our oldest parks

This park is one of the oldest in New South Wales. It was first protected as a water reserve in 1872, which was also the same year the world's first national park - Yellowstone, in USA - was established. Just as Yellowstone's geothermal features pull the crowds, Bungonia's geomorphology, both above and belowground, are its main draw. Louis Guymer was the park's first caretaker (1889-1909), who discovered caves and erected gates and ladders, some of which you may use during your visit.

Winged and furry

The vulnerable large bent-wing bat calls Bungonia home, and certain caves are closed during the year to help provide a safe environment for breeding and hibernation. When open, look out for a colony, cloud or cauldron of bats as you explore the limestone labyrinths of their natural habitat. A small population of koalas, classified as threatened, also inhabit the park.