Explorers Push Limits in Victoria's Deep Elk River Cave System
A small team of cavers in Buchan, Victoria, continues to map and dive the extensive Elk River cave, a network discovered in 2006 that remains largely unexplored.
Beneath the pastoral landscape of Buchan, the Elk River cave has evolved from a chance 2006 discovery by Kim and John Van Dyk into a premier speleological site, now over 3.13 kilometres long and 135 metres deep. Early exploration by divers such as Agnes Milowka and Jim Arundale opened submerged passages, while later teams led by Stephen Fordyce have pushed further with extensive diving, vertical abseils and meticulous surveying.
Despite decades of work, the cave’s full hydrological path—both downstream beyond sump 10 and the upstream catchment—remains unresolved, keeping the system a frontier for future discovery. The project has also produced notable fossil finds, including Ice Age marsupial remains, and contributes to regional cave-rescue readiness. Current crews, including Tom Elms and the Van Dyk family, continue to plan new expeditions, hoping to map the remaining unknown sections of this ancient underground river.
Why it matters
The Elk River cave holds scientific, rescue and heritage value, and its unexplored passages represent a rare frontier for human discovery.
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