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Tanushree Podder takes you to a wonderland called Jenolan caves, formed 340 million years ago, near Sydney
THE Blue Mountains, just two and a half hours’ drive away from Sydney, is a World Heritage Area. Clad in vast forests of eucalypts (commonly called gum trees), the Blue Mountains actually appear blue in colour. The explanation is quite simple. The entire area of one million hectare is covered with eucalypt vegetation. During the day when the sun is hot, the eucalyptus trees discharge a fine mist of eucalyptus oil from their leaves. The mist refracts light, which makes the haze look blue from a distance. An astounding 91 species of eucalypts (13 per cent of the global total) are found in the Greater Blue Mountains Area, which has been described as a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of the eucalypts. The most famous of these is the recently discovered Wollemi pine, a "living fossil" dating back to the age of the dinosaurs, one of rarest species in the world. Besides the scenic extravaganza, the Blue Mountains also house Jenolan Caves, the world’s oldest discovered open caves, formed 340 million years ago. An ancient network of stunning limestone caves beneath 2,422 hectares of unspoilt bush land, nestled on the fringe of the Blue Mountains, are one of the most wondrous works of nature. Jenolan Caves are deep in a valley 793 metres above sea level. It is believed that Jenolan Caves were the traditional territory of both the Gundungurra and Wiradjuri people. For tens of thousands of years, the Jenolan area has been part of the culture of these indigenous tribes. The Gundungurra people called it Binomil or Bin-oo-mur and narrate stories about the creation of this area in the dreamtime stories. It took a long time for Europeans to find their way in the mountains. Twentyfive years after the settlement of Sydney, in 1813, they made their way across the Blue Mountains and reached Jenolan Caves. An interesting story about how the caves were discovered goes thus: an escaped convict named McKeown hid out in the wild valley of this district in the 1830s, robbing farmers and travellers. Two settlers, brothers James and Charles Whalan, decided to track down the convict and made their way to the valley. To their surprise, they discovered two great open caves: the Arch and the Devil’s Coach House. The legend does not mention whether they finally found McKeown or not, but the caves were found. Word about the wonderful caves spread and curious visitors began making a beeline for them. The Whalan brothers found themselves appointed as the unofficial guides to the tourists. Charles Whalan and his sons continued exploring the area and between 1840 and 1860, they discovered the Elder and Lucas caves. The caves, collectively, were then known as Fish River Caves. Later, they were called Binda Caves, and finally Jenolan Caves. As the number of tourists increased, a need to appoint a caretaker for the caves was felt and Jeremiah Wilson was appointed the first keeper of the caves in 1866. In the next 30 years, Jeremiah built the first guest accommodation, installed underground infrastructure and discovered the Mammoth, Imperial, Chifley and Jubilee Caves. Shortly after his hotel was destroyed by fire, Wilson’s services were terminated and his brother Fred was appointed the caretaker. In 1903, James ‘Voss’ Wiburd gained the prestigious title of ‘caretaker’. He and Jack Edwards became the most renowned of Jenolan’s early explorers and are credited with the discovery of some of the most beautiful caves, including the Temple of Baal, Orient and River Caves. Once hidden and remote, more than 400 caves have been discovered at Jenolan since 1830, but only 10 of them are open to visitors. These are a maze of ancient limestone caverns richly draped with exotic mineral deposits and cut through by subterranean rivers. Inside these caves exists a network of the most amazing shapes and formations like column, canopies, shawls, and flowstone. The largest free-hanging shawl in the system, called Angel’s Wing, is located inside the Temple of Baal and is an astounding nine metres long. Diamond Cave has a pure white crystal formation that is tinted with every shade of pink and apricot. These beautiful shapes are the result of interaction between water, limestone, gravity and time. When slightly acidic water with dissolved carbon dioxide seeps down the limestone, it dissolves the limestone. The dissolved limestone is deposited in the caves as crystal calcite. If the water drips slowly into a cave, the crystal is deposited on the ceiling and a stalactite is formed. Water dripping more rapidly deposits crystal on the floor and a stalagmite begins to grow slowly upward. These may ultimately join with a stalactite and form a column. Thin curly whiskers to snake like formations up to a metre long can be seen inside the caves. These beautiful formations are known as helictites. Interestingly, geologists, studying the formations, have discovered that the caves once lay below a warm shallow sea. Fossils of the early sea creatures are clearly visible in sections of the limestone and these fossils suggest that the Jenolan’s limestone is very old — possibly around 430 million years. It is generally not possible to visit all the caves, so one can opt for a tour that suits one’s stamina as each cave is located at a different depth. The Lucas has the Cathedral Chamber, one of the widest and highest at Jenolan. With famous acoustics, the cathedral hosts concerts in the caves. Interestingly, there are
arrangements to get married in the Cathedral Chamber of Lucas Cave,
against the backdrop of the extraordinary limestone formations that
festoon the cavern.
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