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Our Community

Speleology is the study of caves and that is what we do. Some of us do maps and surveys, some assist the scientists and researchers in their projects. These include identifying and counting bats, glow worms and crickets, taking mineral samples to understand the age and development of the caves and finding and identifying bones and fossils. When you are a competent caver you may be called upon to assist researchers in their work. 

Keeping in mind the VSA is NOT a tour operator. So we don’t take people caving as a one-off. We offer caving activities for those who think they may like to be involved in the community (and will keep caving regularly). If you after one-off adventure experiences, we advise you approach a commercial caving association.

Okay, we just had to get that out of the way. So what’s next?

Interested in joining – A couple of things to consider

1. Fitness & Age
Caving doesn’t require high fitness necessarily, but bear in mind it is very physical, so those with limited mobility or very low fitness may struggle. All VSA participants must be caving with a guardian if under the age of 18. That said, people of all sorts of ages, shapes and sizes successfully navigate most caves – it is pretty forgiving. We aren’t macho about it, so its normally not a problem.

2. Gear
As a new caver you don’t need any fancy gear. The main two items are a helmet and a mounted head torch. We use rock climbing helmets which are widely available and will set you back around $100. As for the torch, there are dozens of choices – everything from cheap $15, to super bright waterproof whizz-bang lights in excess of $1,000. Basics to bear in mind are: Is it waterproof? (Some caves have water). Is it durable and tough? (It will get banged around) and is it bright? (Brighter the better!). You will also need a secondary light source, which can be a small hand held light.

Apart from that the gear is pretty simple, beginners usually buy some second hand overalls from an op shop, Amazon or tradie store, and gardening knee pads from Bunnings protect your knees when crawling. Gloves are good too, the gardening variety work well. Some caves can be cool (especially the caves in Tasmania than Victoria) but thermals are often worn underneath your over suit. For footwear many wear gumboots or rubber ‘dairy’ boots. They are both waterproof and tough, have good tread and ankle support. A tough camera is a GREAT way to remember your caving adventures.

When you get more serious about your caving you will need to buy more equipment but for a basic beginner the gear above is all you need. Simple huh?

Membership and Benefits (ASF Insurance and Introductory Member Gear Access)

To come caving with us you will need to join the club. You can join as an introductory member at a low cost of $75, and covers you for 12 months. This membership allows you to borrow club gear while on Beginner trips, including helmets and lights, and importantly covers your insurance with the Australian Speleological Federation (ASF).

The ASF Magazine and the VSA Magazine ‘Nargun’ subscription is included. Members can also access the extensive collection of cave records, reports and maps.

If you enjoy caving and keep caving beyond 12 months you will have the opportunity to join as an Associate Member at $115 a year. Noting, this is a bargain compared to commercial operators, and we have a lot more fun.  When you are ready please reach out by email, the website form, drop in to the next General Meeting and/or complete and send us your Introductory Membership form.

Beginner Trips and Training

The VSA beginner trips regularly. These trips are often (but not always) in Buchan. All trips organised through VSA are led by an accredited Trip Leader. Buchan is a 4.5 hour drive east of Melbourne in East Gippsland. There are hundreds of caves in Buchan and the surrounds, some of which are suitable for complete beginners and ranging through to difficult longer, deeper and wet trips. Keep your eye on the calendar on this website for your next beginner trip. Homeleigh is the accommodation where we normally stay, it is very comfortable and was established by cavers for cavers, plus at a good price. We normally car pool to get to and from Buchan and trips typically run from Friday night through to Sunday afternoon. This allows us to get 2-3 different caves in for the weekend.

The caves in Victoria are not long or deep by international standards but they are very pretty. We have some world class decoration in many of our caves. We are also lucky enough to have Volcanic caves and granite boulder caves which are more rare.

Caving Risks

Dry caving is a very safe sport. The VSA is not a cave diving organisation which has a higher risk, and while we do have divers in the club, our trips are not of that nature. There have been very few fatalities in Australian caves over the past 50 years. We also do everything we can to mitigate risk. Despite popular opinion, you are safer underground than on the road on the way to Buchan.

Leadership

The VSA has developed a process to approve cave trip leader qualifications within the association. Two documents have been created to describe the leadership scheme and to assess the abilities and suitability of prospective cave trip leaders.

> Leadership Scheme

> Leadership Assessment

Memberships

The VSA currently has 5 types of membership; Introductory, Associate, Full, Life and Foundation. Prospective members are encouraged to take up an Introductory Membership which will allow them to explore their personal interests over a 12 month period (or until the current year’s AGM, whichever is earlier). Due to insurance purposes all memberships are 18+, unfortunately we cannot accommodate junior members.

The Introductory Membership is offered at an attractive discount which includes insurance as well as a monthly newsletter, the quarterly VSA magazine (Nargun) and the quarterly ASF magazine (Caves Australia). Recognised recreation groups are also encouraged to join VSA as they can become official affiliated groups of the VSA and participate in co-organised activities.

Of these 5 types of memberships, 3 are available for a prospective members. Life and Foundation are reserved for existing members.

Application Process
1.   Download the application form from the website.
2.   Submit the completed form, along with the appropriate fee, to your trip leader of your first caving trip.
3.   Once your application is accepted and payment received you will typically receive a welcome email from the VSA Treasurer.

How to get started
To maximise your membership we highly recommended that you have a beginner trip or activity lined up before paying your membership fee. The most common way introductory members join is when they see a beginner event on Facebook or the Website and reach out to the organiser.

Otherwise you can send the VSA Committee an email, details on the Contact Us page. From there we can answer any of your questions and/or put your name on a waiting list for the next beginner trip.

You are also welcome to attend a VSA general meeting, these are held on the first Wednesday of every month, except June and December (check the website calendar for dates and details). If you plan to come along let us know in advance.

After your first trip to stay engaged it is recommended that you keep an eye out for suitable trips and activities by Facebook and the Website. You may apply for Associate or Full Membership during this period, but typically if you have been on 1 or 2 activities you will be offered to renew your membership after 12 months as an Associate Member. 

Application Process
1.   Be nominated by two Full Members who know the applicant and are familiar with their caving experience and abilities.
2.   Upon approval by the Committee, Associate Membership is typically announced at the next general meeting.

This membership is similar to Introductory Membership gives you the right to nominate for Committee positions.

Application Process and Eligibility
1.   Have substantial caving experience, including multiple caves in different regions, gained over at least 12 months as an Introductory or Associate Member of VSA, or as a Full Member of another recognised speleological organisation, and have participated in VSA activities.
2.   Be familiar with the ASF Code of Ethics and ASF Safety Guidelines:
     – Ethics: https://caves.org.au/codes-and-standards/finish/7-codes-andstandards/7-code-of-ethics
     – Safety: https://caves.org.au/codes-and-standards/finish/7-codesand-standards/15-safety-guidelines
3.   Demonstrate a responsible and safety-conscious approach to caving.
4.   Competently use and maintain their personal equipment and possess a broad range of caving skills.

Additional Notes
(i) In exceptional circumstances, the VSA Committee may approve Full Membership for individuals who do not meet all the standard requirements.
(ii) As per Rule 3A(b) in the VSA Statement of Purposes and Rules, Full Membership must be approved by a majority vote of Full Members present at a general meeting. 

Membership Fees

Membership renewals are due in July. The following table shows the current VSA and ASF (Insurance) cost breakdown.  

Category VSA Component ($) ASF Component ($) Total Fee ($)
Introductory 55 20 75
Single 45 70 115
Single Concession 24 46 70
Family 55 123 178
Family Concession 44 88 132
VSA Life Member 0 70 70
VSA Article Subscriber 20 – 20