Capricorn Caves

Sometimes the most unexpected places deliver a treasure. I have visited a number of caves since I was a young boy. I have been lucky enough to go pot-holing, plus we have the internationally acclaimed caves at Wookey Hole where we have taken the kids.. I was not expecting these caves to astound me.

We decided to go to these caves because they have good reviews. They are technically above ground. “The caves developed in limestone which was formed from corals growing in shallow waters around volcanic islands. After becoming exposed on land, the limestone was dissolved by acidic rain and underground water.” “Riddling the Berserker Range some 24km north of Rockhampton, this vast cave complex is one of the Capricorn Coast's foremost attractions. Technically not subterranean (they were formed by water working on the limestone of an ancient reef, thrust upward by tectonic pressure) they contain cave coral, stalactites, dangling fig-tree roots and little insectivorous bats. “

The deepest we went was approx 2m below surrounding ground level. The local fig trees have roots that will search down 100m or more to find water. They penetrate the rock as the thinnest of roots and then, as they grow, they can break the rock apart.

So why special? One of the caves is called the Cathedral cave and weddings can take place in there. There is a natural alter, a fig tree root comes down appearing like a bell rope and a stalagmite below the root looks like a fallen and broken bell. We were told that the acoustics are “better than the Sidney Opera House”. Certainly it made no difference in which direction the guide was speaking, her voice was totally clear. She then played “Hallelujah” with a very subtle light show that included periods of total darkness. Darkness that does not allow you to see your hand in front of your face. The combination of the music, the acoustics and the darkness were stunning and something that I will always vividly remember.

The story were were told is that it took 5 years to map the caves in the late 1800s. During that period the explorer (was first discovered in 1881 by a Norwegian migrant john Olsen) had candles and matches but the matches didn’t work in the caves due to the damp. If the candle went out, then the explorer had to retrace his path, in the pitch darkness, back outside. I wonder why he didn’t use a Tilley Lamp - invented in the early 1800s?
We left there later than we had hoped. All advice is not to drive after dusk as the wallabies, Roos and emus (camels too) come out of the surrounding scrub to eat the grass on the road verges, crossing at their will. The chances of hitting on is far higher in the evenings. We looked fr a nearby camp ground and decided upon St Lawrence Recreational Ground. The site has good reviews. We arrived after dark, drove past it because it was poorly signposted and then when we drove in, we wondered what we had let ourselves in for. We were certain that “Duelling Banjoes” (the theme tune to the film “Deliverance) was playing somewhere. The site was a huge expense of dirt with a building at its centre. Tree was only one car parked in the corner. Do we go or do we stay? We stayed ....Read more