Max's Hole is a small Cave-rated site that the CDAA lists as closed pending new access arrangements. Its description is concise and unglamorous: a 20 m ladder drop down a shaft leads to two small pools; thick black silt throughout this small cave; beware of snakes at the bottom of the shaft.

Those few lines sum up the dive. The shaft is deep enough that the ladder climb dominates the logistics, and snakes that fall into the shaft and cannot climb out are an unusual but real hazard at the bottom. Underwater, the cave is small and the thick black silt means any disturbance ends the visibility almost immediately, so it has always been a site for small, disciplined teams with excellent trim, a guideline from the pool and a willingness to accept a short dive.

It has no published depth or survey information in the sources consulted, and it has never been a mainstream destination. It is recorded here because it remains on the CDAA register and appears in older logs and site lists. Closures pending new access arrangements usually mean the CDAA is negotiating with a landowner, so the site may return. If it does, it will suit experienced Cave divers who like exploring small, obscure sites and are comfortable with long ladders and zero-visibility exits. In the meantime, similar small-cave experience can be had at open sites such as Mud Hole and Allendale East Cave, both of which share the silt-sensitive character. The closure also removes one of the few sites where snakes are a listed underwater-adjacent hazard.

Max's Hole is a CDAA-managed Cave site near Mount Gambier that is currently closed pending new access arrangements; no directions or booking are available. When open it required a 20 m ladder descent down a shaft to two small pools. Watch the CDAA dive-sites page for reopening and do not approach the property independently.

Nearest fills and accommodation are in Mount Gambier.

Unaffected by swell or tide. Access and surface conditions on private farmland are the limiting factors: Total Fire Ban days may restrict access or compressors, summer heat makes vertical exits hard work, snakes are active in warm weather and winter rain turns farm tracks muddy. Underwater conditions are stable, with groundwater at a constant ~15°C.

Closed regardless of conditions.

Not applicable while closed. Historically a short, very silt-sensitive Cave dive from one of the two pools.

CDAA grade: Cave (5L100) – currently closed pending new access arrangements.

None – closed pending new access arrangements (CDAA).