The Day My Toddler Tasted Bat Poop – Our Capricorn Caves Adventure

What do you get when you mix a curious toddler, ancient limestone caves, and a whole lot of bat guano? A family travel memory you’ll never forget, and probably never stop scrubbing from your brain. In this episode, I share our hilarious (and slightly gross) adventure through the Capricorn Caves in Queensland, including that unforgettable moment my toddler decided the cave floor looked… tasty.

We’ll chat about whether the caves are worth visiting with kids, what to expect on the tours, and how to handle the wild card that is travelling with small humans.

Read the full story and guide to visiting Capricorn Caves with kids here:
👉 https://familyholidaydestinations.com/capricorn-caves-with-kids/

Thanks for tuning in to the Family Holiday Destinations podcast! For more travel tips, destination guides, and family-friendly inspiration, visit our website at familyholidaydestinations.com. Until next time, happy travels and safe adventures!

Transcript

Welcome to the Family Holiday Destinations podcast, where we inspire your next family adventure. I'm Jessica Palmer, mother of two and founder of Family Holiday Destinations, and today, I’m going to tell you about one of the most hilarious (although it wasn’t at the time) and embarrassing tours we’ve ever done - the Capricorn Caves in Queensland.

So, picture this. We’re part-way through a tour of the Capricorn Caves in Central Queensland -  husband, myself and both the kids - and Trillian (who was two at the time), had been quite difficult. You know, with the whole ‘’pick me up’’ … ‘’no, put me down’’ thing that toddlers do when you’ve stuffed up nap time.

The guide is talking about the history of how these beautiful caves were found, and Trillian is crouched down playing with a rock on the ground with her little finger. I suspected she was eventually planning on throwing it at Ripley (who was four at the time), but for the moment, she was being quiet and wasn’t trying to run off or squeeze into a crevice she wasn’t supposed to be in. So, I just let her be poking around in the dirt, figuring she’s not really hurting anyone and “eh, I’ll take the win”.

The guide asks, “Do you know what the floor is made from?”

“Deerr dirt”, I think.

But then, someone from the back yells out ‘’Guano!’’

Right about then, a scene from Young Guns II (which I watched at least 10 times when I was a kid) started running through my head. In the scene, the outlaws ride into a mining camp, and Billy the Kid, played by Emilio Estevez, asks an old timer if they’re mining copper, to which he replies, “Nooooohhh guano …. bat droppings’’.

Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh, played by Christian Slater, then replies with the iconic line, “I've been to gold towns, silver towns, I've even been to turquoise towns, but I ain't never been to a bat shit town. "

Wait, what? I looked down at Miss Two, just in time to see her stick those chubby little fingers - the same ones that were just digging in the ancient, compacted bat poop - in her mouth.

Look, if I’m being honest, it’s probably not the worst thing she’s ever eaten. And this wasn’t fresh guano. It’s years old, compacted and looks like regular dirt. I mean, kids get dirt in their mouths all the time … maybe it's just like licking regular dirt, right?

SIGH

Despite the not-so-funny-at-the-time moment, the beauty of these caves did not go unnoticed. We did the Cathedral Cave tour, which is well-paced, and the cave formations are stunning. Unfortunately, though, you can’t just wander around by yourself. It’s all guided, which makes sense for preservation reasons, but does make things a little trickier with young kids. 

Anyway, nearing the end of the tour, we are all gathered in the Cathedral room - a space used for weddings and even opera concerts, thanks to its amazing acoustics.  The room is lit by candles, and we sit on sturdy wooden pews. Exactly the kind you would find in church. We all settle in and the guide plays a beautiful a cappella version of Hallelujah through some speakers.

Mr Four was a bit bored, but sitting quietly enough. Miss Two, however, had other plans. Right in the middle of a peaceful, candlelit moment, she climbs onto the seat in front of us, and before I can stop her, bends over at the waist until her head is under her bottom and bellows: “MUM - I CAN SEE MY BUM!”

Damn, those accoustics really are good! I wanted the cave floor to swallow me whole - ancient guano and all. Needless to say, I avoided eye contact with everyone until the tour ended because I had become ‘that’ parent. You know, the one who ruins everyone's peaceful time by bringing along their unruly child. We’ve all been there, right?

Shortly after her bottom announcement, the guide snuffed out all the flickering candlelights, plunging us into darkness. Maybe she figured if Miss Two couldn’t see her butt anymore, she’d stop yelling about it. 

So, is the Capricorn Caves a great experience with kids? Absolutely, just maybe don’t schedule it during naptime like I did.

There are different tours to suit different ages. We did the Cathedral Cave Tour - that one is great for all ages and even wheelchair-friendly. But, if you’ve got older kids, there are more adventurous options too. Like the Explorer tour for ages 5 and up, or the Family Adventure for ages 7+. This one is only available in the QLD school holidays, but you’ll get to explore cool caves like The Dungeon and Whale’s Belly with a head torch.

The caves are about 23km north of Rockhampton, just off the highway. You can’t miss the signs. And if you happen to visit during Summer Solstice - think early December to early January - don’t miss the natural beam of sunlight that shines into Belfry Cave. I'm told it’s a pretty magical sight.

So that wraps up our experience of visiting the Capricorn Caves with kids - bat poop floors, acoustic concerts, and all. I’m sure there are many other great cave experiences out there to be had, and we would love to hear some of yours. And of course, I defo want to hear if your kids have embarrassed you with their behaviour on your travels. Thanks for joining me on this journey through the Capricorn Caves. I hope this chat has inspired you to explore it with your family - even if your little one is a bit of a handful.

For more tips and detailed guides, head on over to the Family Holiday Destinations website at familyholidaydestinations.com. And until next time, happy travels and enjoy making those family memories.