A series of limestone caves, known as the Jenolan Caves, is found in the Blue Mountains. “Jenolan” comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “high place,” appropriate as the area is about eight hundred meters high in The Great Dividing Range. After driving through winding roads that climbed and fell through the mountains, we drove through the Grand Arch, Australia's largest open cave at fifty five meters wide, twenty four meters high, and one hundred twenty seven meters long, to reach the ticket office.
Nettles Cave
When you buy a ticket to tour any cave, you receive an audio guide to do a self guided tour of Nettles Cave.
Bones unearthed reveal that the sooty owl has been living in the cave for over ten thousand years.
River Cave
The river in this cave is over fifteen meters deep. Stalagmites jut up under the water's surface while stalactites hang from the ceiling. When a stalagmite and a stalactite join, they form a column. The cave's cool interior was a welcomed relief from the Australian summer sun.
Lucas Cave
Named for John Lucas, a local member of parliament who lobbied for cave preservation laws in the nineteenth century, Lucas Cave is home to an impressive chamber called the cathedral. It's an astounding fifty seven meters tall and, due to its great acoustics, hosts concerts from time to time. The first photo below is looking up towards the cathedral's ceiling.
Water trickling slowly along a cave's ceiling form shawls. It looks like bacon to this vegetarian!
