Take care when walking through the cave when the water is flowing as this is one of the few places you can find quicksand in Australia. The quicksand is formed when water is percolating from below. Heed the warnings and stay safe. This is an isolated area with no telephone reception.
The Stockyard Gully cave system is formed by the Stockyard River which flows almost all year round. The actual cave is prone to flooding as evidenced by the large logs jammed high in the roof and the mud levels above the logs.
These environments, often called karst, require special management. The flow of underground water and the animals that live in these specialist environments are in a delicate balance and are easily disturbed. Park rangers are rarely seen so we trust you will take care. Leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but memories.
Large feral bee hives can be found in the cave entrances. Do not disturb them as they can become quite aggressive.
The tracks in this area can be very loose sand with exposed rocks and a high centre at certain times of year.
The Park has several subterranean caverns which drain a small stream flowing westward into them and is mainly rocky outcrops with intermittent low gullies. Vegetation is mainly light sandplain Heath and Banksia with some large Eucalyptus in the gullies.
Unfortunately, it's not easy to get to this cache without a vehicle equipped to handle rough, sandy tracks but your visit will be well rewarded. Geomorphological studies carried out here show that it is a unique network of systems that can only be appreciated by spending a little time here. The limestone of this area is an older aeolian calcarenite than that of the south-west.
You may log this Earthcache straight away but then please email your answers to the questions to the CO. We will contact you ONLY if your answers need extra work. Logs with no answers sent will be deleted. Answers can be found by observing the landscape and reading the information boards throughout the areas with public access.
1. What rock type is the majority of rock found here?
2. Why are there no low hanging stalactites here?
3. What process formed the caverns found here?
4. What are the iron oxides named here that have formed the pink and yellow coloured rocks?
5. What is contained in the rain and ground water that dissolves the rock here?
6. (observation) How did the air feel inside the cave?
Please forward your answers in the form of an email message from this site. Do not post answers in your log.
Lake Indoon is the other main feature of the park. The 130ha freshwater lake is a popular spot for water based activities including swimming, kayaking and water skiing. For $10 a night you can camp here with BBQs, drinking water, toilets and hot showers all provided.
Aside from these you can also walk through the photogenic park and capture the abundance of wildflowers, large eucalyptus trees and striking cliff faces. There is a large population of grey Kangaroos as well as bats and a wide variety of birds.