7 caves · down to 45 m
Cave diving in the Nullarbor
- Caves7
- Max depth45 m
- Water temperature17–24 °C
Why come here
Under the Nullarbor desert lie expedition caves with kilometre-long sumps, such as Cocklebiddy, where a world penetration record was once set. The water is salty to brackish and 17–24 °C, with haloclines, and every cave needs full cave. You need a CDAA membership or visitor permit and written permission from the land manager at least 4 weeks ahead: allow 2–3 months to prepare in all. There is no fill station on the plain, so you bring a compressor, generator, water and spares, working from Cocklebiddy Roadhouse or another roadhouse.
Weebubbie is closed, DBCA lists Cocklebiddy as closed to public entry because of unstable rock at the entrance (ask whether dive permits are issued), and Pannikin Plains closes from 1 November to 31 January. High CO₂ has been measured in some air chambers and entrances, and summers are extremely hot: winter is better.
Don't miss
- Pannikin Plains Cave: the entrance lies ~90 m above the water, and once down you dive in brackish water with visibility as far as your lights reach; closed after the 1988 flood, it has been open again to qualified divers since 2018.
- Olwolgin Cave (Roe Plain): green, tannin-stained water with haloclines, black bacteria and roots, in a system Divernet called Australia's longest underwater system in 2015.
On a rest day
- Eyre Bird Observatory: An 1897 telegraph station between woodland and white dunes, Australia's first bird observatory since 1977; the last stretch needs a 4WD and day visits are by booking only.
- Eucla Telegraph Station: The ruins of the largest station on the East–West telegraph line, in use from 1877 to 1927 and now slowly disappearing under the dunes.
- Head of Bight: On the road to or from Adelaide, the clifftop boardwalks above the Bunda Cliffs, up to 120 m high, look out on southern right whales that calve here from June to October.
All 7 caves
2 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnabbie Cave (Roe Plain)Permission neededSidemount · Full cave | – | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Murra-el-elevyn CavePermission neededBackmount · Full cave | – | Backmount | Full cave |
| Olwolgin Cave (Roe Plain)Permission neededSidemount · Full cave | 10 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Pannikin Plains CavePermission neededBackmount · Full cave | 40 m | Backmount | Full cave |
| Tommy Grahams CavePermission neededBackmount · Full cave | – | Backmount | Full cave |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Where to stay
Find a place near Cocklebiddy, Madura, Eucla
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- CocklebiddyBooking.com ↗
- MaduraBooking.com ↗
- EuclaBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 000. Carry a PLB (DBCA); coverage only at the roadhouses. The Royal Flying Doctor Service lands on emergency strips along the Eyre Highway. Chambers: Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth (24/7, via the helpdesk (08) 6152 2222) and the Royal Adelaide Hospital. DAN Asia-Pacific: 1800 088 200 or +1 919 684 9111.
Closed or restricted
- Status: Weebubbie is closed (cavediving.net.au, April 2026; now owned by the Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation). DBCA lists Cocklebiddy as 'closed to public entry' because of unstable rock at the entrance: ask DBCA whether dive permits are issued. Pannikin Plains is closed from 1 November to 31 January.
Gas and fills
- Self-sufficient: no fill station on the Nullarbor. Bring a compressor, generator, water (one team took 280 l), food, spares and recovery gear, and a 4x4 for the tracks. The nearest fill stations are in Port Lincoln and Perth.
Water and season
- Water: salty to brackish, 17–24 °C; haloclines. Rinse your gear after the dive.
- Climate: extreme heat in summer (record 49.8 °C at Eucla); winter is cooler and better.
Safety
- Air in the caves: high CO₂ has been measured in the air chamber of Tommy Grahams and at the entrance of Burnabbie (especially in warm months), at Burnabbie possibly also H₂S: breathe your own gas there.
Getting around
- Travel: Norseman is 726 km from Perth; from Norseman it is 438 km to Cocklebiddy, 529 km to Madura and 710 km to Eucla; Ceduna (SA) is ~786 km from Adelaide. The roadhouses are 200–300 km apart and have fuel and rooms. Quarantine: no fresh fruit, vegetables or honey into Western Australia (checkpoint at Eucla/Border Village) or into South Australia (before Ceduna). From Caiguna to Border Village people use UTC+8:45.
Rest day
- Rest day: the ruins of the Eucla telegraph station, whales at the Head of Bight (June–October), the Bunda Cliffs and the Nullarbor Links golf course.
Good to know
- Read this first: the Nullarbor is expedition diving in a remote desert. Every cave needs a CDAA membership or visitor permit with the right rating, and written permission from the land manager, at least 4 weeks ahead: DBCA (Parks and Wildlife, Esperance office) for Cocklebiddy, Murra-el-elevyn, Tommy Grahams and Pannikin Plains, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage for Weebubbie, Olwolgin and Burnabbie (with indemnities, attendee list, dates, emergency contact and CDAA cards). With the CDAA visitor permit on top (6–8 weeks), allow at least 2–3 months to prepare.
- Traditional owners: the Mirning. Koonalda Cave (SA) is a protected Aboriginal site and closed.
News
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