After fire, floods and landslips in recent years, Jenolan Caves is ready to reopen again

More than 100 days since the Oberon district tourist attraction shut due to the closure of the Two Mile Road (the only vehicle access to the site), Jenolan Caves will be back in business from Friday, January 20.

It follows a run of biblically bad luck for the precinct and its access roads, including a bushfire getting close enough to destroy buildings in January 2020, flooding only a month later, the COVID pandemic, landslides in March 2021, problems with rain again in mid-2022 and further problems with rain in October 2022.

According to the Jenolan Caves Facebook page, though, interest hasn't waned in the tourist attraction.

"Our phones never stopped ringing during the 100 days when we were closed," a message on the page said this week.

Member for Bathurst and Deputy Premier Paul Toole - who has made a number of visits to the Jenolan Caves precinct and its access roads in recent years for funding announcements or to see the latest repair work - said this week that the reopening of the tourism destination would be good news for the whole region.

"Jenolan was hit hard by weather last year, with landslips completely shutting down access to Caves House," he said.

"This much-loved destination has been attracting visitors for more than 100 years, so it's great that the damage has been repaired and the site is reopening.

"The first cave tours kick off tomorrow morning and staff are looking forward to once again sharing the beauty of this amazing World Heritage-listed site."

Mr Toole thanked locals and tourists for steering clear of the damaged Jenolan Caves Road and said crews had "worked around the clock" to make the road safe for motorists again.

Jenolan Caves says bookings are open for five caves: the Orient, Chifley, Lucas, Temple of Baal and the Imperial. Its café will also reopen on Friday, January 20.

Accommodation at the site will be available again from February 9.

The NSW Government recently announced that the tourist attraction will undergo a $30.7 million upgrade, which will include a facelift to decades-old infrastructure and additional habitat protection for the resident platypus population.

Interestingly, considering the access problems for the site over recent years, a five-year draft masterplan for the precinct has also been released for public comment and it includes a commitment by the Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust to undertake a feasibility study for aerial access, which could reduce road traffic within the precinct significantly.

Oberon mayor Mark Kellam told the Western Advocate last month that the masterplan was an exciting prospect for the caves.

"It's going to be a major benefit because the caves will be open and a much better cave precinct than it is now," he said.

"The feasibility study for aerial access is absolutely fantastic too. That's been simmering away for years now."

He said the aerial access would likely be "a cable car of some description".

Jenolan Caves says entry to the precinct, when it reopens on Friday, will be by ticket only.

Tickets must be pre-booked online at the Jenolan Caves website and access instructions must be followed.