Wombeyan Caves
The Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve is situated between Taralga and Mittagong in New South Wales. There is two-wheel drive access from all directions: Oberon (north), Goulburn (south), Mittagong (east), and Crookwell (west). Facilities at the Reserve include full amenities, picnic area, camping, caravan park, and cabins. In addition to caving, activities include trail walks, bird watching, photography and more. The Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve is managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. More detailed information is available from their website.
Note. If coming from Mittagong. Wombeyan Caves Road west of High Range is a safe two-wheel-drive dirt road. However, it is long and winding, very narrow in places, high altitude at times with sharp drop offs and few guard rails, and often there is no place to stop and even less places to turn around. Consequently, unseasoned drivers may feel this route is Australia's answer to Peru's Inca Trail. If you are concerned about such driving conditions then by all means approach the Caves from Taralga rather than Mittagong. Travel time will be approximately the same whichever way you choose. On the other hand, if you're up for the adventure then we highly recommend you experience the drive. At various points the road offers an excellent view of the Burragorang Valley, passes through a sandstone tunnel and crosses the Wollondilly River. The total distance is 65 km and the journey takes around 1.5 hours. You can stop at Goodman's Ford and stretch for a while before completing your trek. But be patient and be prepared to take your time. Your average speed between High Range and the Caves will be approximately 40 km/h. Lower in inclement weather. But the scenic views are worth the trip. And as a last tip, make sure you have a full fuel tank before you hit the road. The closest petrol station will be the one you leave behind. Oh, and there is no rule that says you must return by the same route you came. If WCR proves too much, then just exit by Taralga. Or if you enter by Taralga but build your nerve then give it a go on the way home, but be mindful of a late start - it is not a good idea to get your first taste of WCR at night.
The Caves
There are a number of caves at the Reserve that are accessible to the public. For example:
Wollondilly Cave. Sections leading from the lower entrance of the Wollondilly Cave had been explored as early as the 1860s. The upper entrance was discovered in 1885 and opened to the public in 1905. The distance from gate to gate is 800 meters. There are 520 steps up and down, including 5 ladders, handrails and fencing.
Fig Tree Cave. Named after a large fig tree growing at its entrance, Fig Tree Cave was opened for inspection in the 1870s and closed by 1928. It re-opened in 1968 and is now Australia's premier self-guided cave. Fig Tree Cave exhibits some of the most cavernous chambers in the Wombeyan Caves and is the underground route for Wombeyan Creek.
Junction Cave. The Junction Cave was discovered in 1897 and opened to the public in 1906. It's entrance (and exit) is located near the junction of Mares Forest Creek and Wombeyan Creek. The distance covered in the Junction Cave is 400 meters and there are 350 steps up and down, including 3 ladders, handrails and fencing.
Other caves include Mulwaree Cave, Kooringa Cave and the Tinted Cave (torch required).
Note. Unauthorized entrance to these and other caves is prohibited. Please abide by Reserve rules.
History
Aborigines lived in the Wombeyan area for thousands of years. There is no evidence they entered any of the caves.
Wombeyan Caves were discovered in 1828 by a party led by the New South Wales Surveyor General, John Oxley. John Macarthur, known to many as the founding father of the Australian wool industry, had accompanied Oxley in the hope that he would find suitable new grazing lands. Oxley and Macarthur documented the caves' existence but did not explore them.
In 1842, a clergyman named Reverend Denning was the first European to explore the creek section of Fig Tree Cave. However, it wasn't until 1865, with the appointment of Charles Chalker as first caretaker, that the system was explored in any detail.
Chalker discovered some nine major caves. Today the Basin Cave, Glass Cave, Forest Creek Cave, Guineacor Cave and Grant's Cave, many of which are inaccessible, are closed to the public for reasons of preservation.
The Caves were originally shown to visitors by candlelight and magnesium flares. In 1928, three of the caves were lit by electricity, but because of difficulties involved in maintaining lights and paths in the Fig Tree Cave, this cave was not illuminated at that time.
Earth Cache
The scientific study of caves is called 'Speleology'. One would expect it to be Caveology but in 1895 Édouard-Alfred Martel wanted "to make speleology something else than a mere sport." The root of Speleology is taken from the much older 'Spelaean' which means a person who dwells in caves. Today, the term can be used both ways but preference is given to Speleology for study and learning, while recreational exploration of caves is more properly referred to as caving or caverning.
Karst, on the other hand, is named after a German mineralogist named Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten who lived over two-hundred years ago. The first mineral named after Karsten was Karstenite in 1813 and which means Anhydrous sulphate of lime or just simply Anhydrite. In the past few years, the word Karst has become very popular and is used as an umbrella term that refers to geological conditions, particularly those involving limestone, which favor the formation of caves as well as places of erosion.
How caves are formed
Upon entering a cave we notice two remarkable things. First is the fact we are in an underground cavern or tunnel (the cave), and the second is that it is usually decorated by a variety of rock formations (speleothems). Both the caves and the speleothems are formed by similar but slightly different processes.
Cave formation. The caves at Wombeyan have been developed in marble which is a metamorphic rock composed of calcite. As water soaks through the ground it combines with carbon dioxide to form a weak acid which dissolves calcite. This acidic water flows through cracks in the rock and widens them. This is a process of erosion. The water moves quickly enough that it carries the dissolved calcite away and leaves nothing in its place. Eventually the cracks develop into caves.
Speleothem formation. After a cave has formed, water passes downward through the soil above the calcite, absorbs carbon dioxide, and becomes acidic. As a weak acid, the water is able to dissolve a small amount of the calcite as it passes through cracks and pores on its journey down into the cave. As this water drips into the air-filled cave, dissolved carbon dioxide is given off. Because the water has lost carbon dioxide, it cannot hold as much dissolved calcite. The excess calcite is then precipitated on the cave walls and ceilings. This is a process of sedimentation. The water moves slowly and leaves deposits behind where they make up many of the different kinds of formations.
When the water moves slowly, sediment clings to the chamber ceiling to form stalactites, and when the water moves a little faster it falls to the floor where it forms stalagmites. If allowed to continue, a stalactite and stalagmite may grow into each other to form a column.
When the flow of water is obstructed or influenced by a variety of factors in the cave environment, it will create speleothems less uniform in appearance than stalactites and stalagmites. Many common speleothems are helictites, flowstones, rimstones, straws, and shawls.
Other speleothems give rise to creative interpretations and you will see many examples of these in the Fig Tree Cave.
To Log This Cache
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In the Fig Tree Cave,
- Estimate the length of the path through Fig Tree Cave.
- What is embedded in the walls and ceiling at the first (the Galleries) information area?
- Three features of the Opera House Cavern are The Main Stage, The Royal Box, and The Organ Loft. Name the fourth feature and state briefly why you think it's known by this name.
- The formations in the Fig Tree Cave are made from what substance or material?
- What do the following formation colors indicate:
- white
- red, orange, and yellow
- gray
- brown
- Briefly describe the primary point of interest in the Colonnades and state how long it has been in its present state.
- What color are the formations in the cavernous tunnel known as the Marble Way?
Note. Entry into the Fig Tree Cave entails a fee. Please check the Reserve website for individual pricing as well as group and family discounts. You do not have to book in advance to enter the Fig Tree Cave; there are no scheduled tours. You may commence your self-guided tour any time after you arrive. Please note, however, that you may only enter during the Reserve's regular hours of operation (9am-4pm).
The Small Print
Protecting our heritage. The features in caves have formed over many thousands of years. Once damaged, they are lost forever. To maintain the caves for the enjoyment of future visitors, it is essential that you refrain from touching any of the formations. For your own safety and the protection of the caves, please keep to the designated pathways. Smoking is prohibited. Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but foot-prints.
The Reserve is wheel-chair accessible; however, due to stairs and ladders the caves themselves do not afford wheel-chair passage.
Some information above has been excerpted from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service sources.
Karst Landscape image used with permission from The Journal of Wild Culture. Please visit their website.
Historical map adapted and modified from a map provided by the Sydney Rockclimbing Club.
External Links
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