Jenolan Caves

Yesterday we went to Jenolan Caves. They are just west of the Blue Mountains, so the scenery was beautiful. The caves themselves have been dated to over 340 million years old!

The Grand Arch below is the entrance to the caves and it actually has a road running through it.


This is Caves House where we stayed for the night. It is literally right on the doorstep of the caves (just through the arch).

The water really was this blue. Nik was in explorer mode and so he went out early to go platypus hunting. . . he came back excitedly saying the only two living things he had seen so far that day were me . . . and a platypus!

I thought, "He's probably just seen a duck!". . . . but then I went hunting too, and there it was!


It was just floating motionless on the surface of the water, then it would dive down and come up again shortly after for air.



The river flowing from the blue pool was just like something you'd find in England. The trees were covered in hairy lichen. . . . fabulous fresh air!


The first cave tour we did was quite tough, we went up and down steep steps and ladders, but saw enormous stalagmites and stalagtites and sheets and shawls of calcite.




The caves are made of limestone (Compacted remains of shellfish from a sea bed millions of years ago). The stalagmites and tites are created when water seeps and drips into the caves. The slightly acidic water picks up calcium carbonate from the limestone and then it is deposited as calcite.



If the water drips slowly, stalagtites develop from the roof of the cave. If the water drips faster, stalgamites grow from the floor. Sometimes they meet up to form columns.



The lighting inside the caves was amazing - the second cave tour we did to "The Temple of Baal" cave was incredible. Inside this cave they turned all the lights out and it was absolute darkness . . I was so fascinated at this point that I couldn't take my eyes off the caves to get my camera out. . . so if you click on the link above you should see some images from the Jenolan Caves website.

If we go back within 12 months we get half price tickets . . . . . Yes I am referring to the Blair Tribe. We can send the boys off on a tiring adventure tour and us girls can take a leisurely walk through The Imperial cave. . . .Tempted?