Thunderbolt’s Cave is worth a visit

Thunderbolt's Cave

07th Jun 2023

Are you looking for an adventure close to home? If you haven’t visited Thunderbolt’s Cave, it is relatively easy to access and young kids in particular are fascinated to walk in the footsteps of the notorious bushranger. As part of her work placement with the Gazette, Lilliana Eddy stopped in recently and shares her experience with us.

Thunderbolt’s cave is located within a two-kilometre loop near Black Mountain. You can access the cave off the New England Highway near the service station or further down if you on your way back from Armidale.
It’s a rocky area, while still being a suitable walk for the family. During 1867and 1878 Captain Thunderbolt, also known as Fredrick Wordsworth Ward, hid in this cave after robbing many places across the New England District.
To get to Thunderbolt’s Cave I’d recommend you use the top entrance as it’s closer to the car park and easier to access than the bottom one. There is a parking lot close to where the cave is with a table that’s nice to have lunch at.
The short walk to Thunderbolt’s cave is mainly downhill, but you’ll be able to see where the cave is once you make your way down the hill. I wouldn’t recommend taking very small children or seniors to this place as it may be hard for them to access. I went with my family for the day and we enjoyed the visit. You could dive deep into the history or you could go there for an outing to get out of the house.
Story & photo by Lilliana Eddy

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Thunderbolt’s Cave is worth a visit

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