A weekend away at Yarrangobilly Caves

During the day, I'm layered in active wear while walking in my favourite pairs of Vans. Somehow I still manage to trip over my own feet. Stumbling through narrow passages with limited light, I navigate around a two-million-year-old cave - Possibly the oldest at Yarrangobilly, the Jillabenan Cave.

I don't think much of my clumsiness until the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service discovery guide, Rachel Daniel, explains that privileged folk of the 1800s would have explored these caves wearing suits, long dresses, corsets, and of course all their regalia.

"They were climbing and clambering all over the place," she says.

Not only does this sound absurd - and I don't want to think how long it took to get all the stains out of their beautiful garments - but to make things more ludicrous, in the 1800s the caves also had no electricity and no steps.

"There was no electricity, they would come in here and would have wool soaked in kerosene giving them a light," Daniel says.

"As time went on they had a reticulating carbon ribbon with a little flame underneath. The carbon would emulate a light that was in a little box which was strapped to their heads. So you could imagine a few people lost their hair at that time."

The steps came much later, during the late 1960s, when Cooma prisoners were brought over to modernise the area.

I learn very quickly that Yarrangobilly is a historian's dream.

Nearly three hours away from Canberra, tucked in the crown of the northern Kosciuszko National Park, Yarrangobilly is a jewel I wish I had discovered earlier.

This Canberra getaway is also well known for its thermal pool. It's 20 meters long and 2.5 meters deep, and is fed by a natural spring 1000 meters below the surface, keeping the temperature at a balmy 27 degrees all year round.

Even before arriving, I have already envisaged bubbling hot water with a cloud of steam hovering over the pool. If, like mine, your brain often builds up unrealistic expectations, you might be slightly disappointed if visiting in the warmer seasons.

I'm here at the beginning of spring, on a day which is hitting the low 20s. I poke one foot in the water and it feels a little cold, but once I immerse myself, it's more like a lukewarm bath. With the walls and floor covered in fluffy, green algae, it seems like the pool is at one with the natural environment. The algae and weeds provide a breeding site for frogs, which, believe it or not, means the water is clean.

Swimming amongst dissolved calcium, sodium, and magnesium I'm already feeling all the benefits the tranquility of this place has to offer. I take in my surroundings of towering eucalyptus trees, and mountain views, inhaling deep breaths, capturing the fresh air scented with hints of Australian fauna.

I watch a kangaroo bounce over towards me with her joey's head sticking out of her pouch as she drinks from the springs. This awakening leaves me with a sense that this is what our beautiful country is all about.

The sun is setting and I debate with myself whether I should stay longer or take the Yarrangobilly River walk before it's dark. The river walk links to the thermal pools, so I decide to take it as the scenic back to my accommodation. The entire track itself is a 3-kilometre loop and also leads in the direction to the Yarrangobilly's caves.

I'm in my togs, I'm damp, cold, and my poor circulation isn't doing me any favours. But the walk, and its ambiance, is so enticing that all the discomfort drifts away as I take in the surrounding environment. I'm surrounded by delicate Australian wildflowers, colourful, tiny little buds that look like they belong in fairy tales. I look out for platypus, but all I see is an apprehensive rock-wallaby.

Back at the Yarrangobilly Caves House, it's cosy and warm. The heritage-listed house was originally built in 1901 and a second storey, where I'm staying, was built in 1917. It has been self-sufficient from the 1900s, using hydro and diesel power.

The calming energy of the house makes is such a nice change from the everyday hustle and bustle. Yarrangobilly is a history-packed, natural reset for the soul.