We had a slow start to today, after all, we don't have to leave by 10am.... I think it was around 11.30am when we said our good-byes to Wally and Nugget. We didn't get too far, 45 kms up the road, when we come across Taralga. It looked like a little interesting village, so we stopped to stretch the legs and have a look around. Taralga differs from many towns in that a large proportion of its existing buildings date from the 1860s to 90s and becaue most of them are of stone construction - built from the vast number of stones and rocks which litter the volcanic soils for miles around.
The ute above parked in the main street in front of the old NAB bank building, in a pile of fallen autumn leaves. We found our way to the Taralga Pub advertising pizzas all day every day. Well it is a Friday tradition so we decide to treat ourselves to a $15 supreme. Supreme it was, very tasty, almost as good as my pizzas. It was so nice we just had to eat the lot.....
The condition of the road we were travelling was not that crash hot, but the scenery was beautiful. We found our way to Oberon and booked into the van park. We went to the pub for a drink, I do love a pub with an open fire place, especially when it's a bit cool. Darl got chatting to an old mate, was a pea and lamb farmer. Now days he reckons farming is all too hard, a lot of the farms around Oberon have been sold off and sub divided into 10-15 acre hobby farm blocks. He also reckons the weather is ripe for snow in a couple weeks, that would a sight to see....
We're off to the Jenolan Caves today. There is a very steep, windy road down into the caves. Darl was cursing this car, going too slow but we couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her, a single mum of 3 taking the kids for an outing, didn't realise to put the car in low gear and just about burnt the brakes out in her car. She was freaking out coming down the hill, didn't realise the road would be like that..... Anyway Darl advised her to get the brakes checked when she gets home.
Jenolan Caves are one of Australia's oldest tourist attractions. A couple of the cave sites, Temple of Baal and the Orient Cave are reported to be the oldest known caves in the world at 320 million years old. Jenolan has in total 350 recorded entrances, however only 11 are "show caves". We chose to do the Temple of Baal. The entrance of the cave is man made, but then you descend into the "dragon's throat" deep down into the cave system. The spikes at left is how the first explorers navigated their way through, now that would be a bit tricky....
They make it easy for us today, with steel steps and pathways and stainless steel railings. One of the most interesting formations on the right. Looks rather like a beer bottle doesn't it? Apparently it is a soft drink bottle left by a worker in the cave over 50 years ago. This was confirmed by the worker who put it there, when he took a tour not long ago. The caves never cease to amaze us. The photos really don't do justice to what you see.
This is one of the biggest shawls we have seen. We saw smaller examples in the WA caves. This is a guided tour and the guide is very informative and takes a light hearted approach. We see the usual, straws, stalatites and stalimites, columns, water falls. All still pretty amazing. The cave system at Jenolan is largely an interconnected system with different chambers, each one linked to another. Not all the connections have been located, and caves and passageways continue to be discovered. Jenolan has so much on offer, cave tours, concerts in caves, wedding in caves, a number of bush walks, on site accommodation, adventure caving (no that I would like to give a go), my Darl was not so keen when I suggested it, but I reckon he would give it a go.
Inside the Nettle Cave including the Devils Coach House. When a ticket is purchased to one of the ten "show case" caves, you get a complimentary self-guided tour with audio through the Devils Coach House and Nettle Cave. This is nothing quite like the caves we have been in before, it is quite open. Though still very much amazing, in its size and openess. Here's Darl standing against some columns formed when the stalagtites meet the stalagmites....
Craybacks, you can see why they are called this. We haven't seen this formation before in any of the caves we have done, but this is still a staligmite (or tite) - growing from the ground up.
Walking down the stairs from the Nettle Cave, I have lost count how many stairs we have gone up and down today. The lush green embankments covered in a deadly stinging nettle, might be why they call it the Nettle Cave. Apparently it is extremely painful if touched.
Carlotta Arch Way - It is believed it was named after a surveyor General PF Adams - Adams is accreditted with taking some of the earliest photos in a cave at Jenolan.
Up at the look down to Devils Coach House - this is where we were not long ago, walking through Devils Coach House and into the Nettle Cave. This is the north entrance to Devils Coash House, it is 150 feet high, 60 feet wide, total length 430 feet, greatest height 280 feet, greatest width 132 feet. Devils Coach House was created by a river, which now runs deep underground and can be seen on several of the cave tours.
We walked through the Coach House, up to the Look Down back past Carlotta Archway then down to the Caves House. This was along the way, note the stainless steel railings. They are on all the tracks, constructed at a great expense.
The Caves House, isn't it grand. In 1880 Jeremiah Wilson erected the first accommodation at the junction of Camp and Surveyors Creeks. By 1887 a large two storey wooden house had been built. Between 1887 and 1895 a second two storey building was erected. However in March 1895 a fire destroyed all the old accommodation leaving only the new building. Construction of the Caves House as you see it today commenced in 1898. Looks like a cool place for a getaway.
Back at camp for steak and vegies on the barby for tea..... A great day out exploring the Jenolan Caves and walk ways.
We had a slow start to today, after all, we don't have to leave by 10am.... I think it was around 11.30am when we said our good-byes to Wally and Nugget. We didn't get too far, 45 kms up the road, when we come across Taralga. It looked like a little interesting village, so we stopped to stretch the legs and have a look around. Taralga differs from many towns in that a large proportion of its existing buildings date from the 1860s to 90s and becaue most of them are of stone construction - built from the vast number of stones and rocks which litter the volcanic soils for miles around.
The ute above parked in the main street in front of the old NAB bank building, in a pile of fallen autumn leaves. We found our way to the Taralga Pub advertising pizzas all day every day. Well it is a Friday tradition so we decide to treat ourselves to a $15 supreme. Supreme it was, very tasty, almost as good as my pizzas. It was so nice we just had to eat the lot..... 
The condition of the road we were travelling was not that crash hot, but the scenery was beautiful. We found our way to Oberon and booked into the van park. We went to the pub for a drink, I do love a pub with an open fire place, especially when it's a bit cool. Darl got chatting to an old mate, was a pea and lamb farmer. Now days he reckons farming is all too hard, a lot of the farms around Oberon have been sold off and sub divided into 10-15 acre hobby farm blocks. He also reckons the weather is ripe for snow in a couple weeks, that would a sight to see....
We're off to the Jenolan Caves today. There is a very steep, windy road down into the caves. Darl was cursing this car, going too slow but we couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her, a single mum of 3 taking the kids for an outing, didn't realise to put the car in low gear and just about burnt the brakes out in her car. She was freaking out coming down the hill, didn't realise the road would be like that..... Anyway Darl advised her to get the brakes checked when she gets home. 
Jenolan Caves are one of Australia's oldest tourist attractions. A couple of the cave sites, Temple of Baal and the Orient Cave are reported to be the oldest known caves in the world at 320 million years old. Jenolan has in total 350 recorded entrances, however only 11 are "show caves". We chose to do the Temple of Baal. The entrance of the cave is man made, but then you descend into the "dragon's throat" deep down into the cave system. The spikes at left is how the first explorers navigated their way through, now that would be a bit tricky.... 
They make it easy for us today, with steel steps and pathways and stainless steel railings. One of the most interesting formations on the right. Looks rather like a beer bottle doesn't it? Apparently it is a soft drink bottle left by a worker in the cave over 50 years ago. This was confirmed by the worker who put it there, when he took a tour not long ago. The caves never cease to amaze us. The photos really don't do justice to what you see. 
This is one of the biggest shawls we have seen. We saw smaller examples in the WA caves. This is a guided tour and the guide is very informative and takes a light hearted approach. We see the usual, straws, stalatites and stalimites, columns, water falls. All still pretty amazing. The cave system at Jenolan is largely an interconnected system with different chambers, each one linked to another. Not all the connections have been located, and caves and passageways continue to be discovered. Jenolan has so much on offer, cave tours, concerts in caves, wedding in caves, a number of bush walks, on site accommodation, adventure caving (no that I would like to give a go), my Darl was not so keen when I suggested it, but I reckon he would give it a go. 
Inside the Nettle Cave including the Devils Coach House. When a ticket is purchased to one of the ten "show case" caves, you get a complimentary self-guided tour with audio through the Devils Coach House and Nettle Cave. This is nothing quite like the caves we have been in before, it is quite open. Though still very much amazing, in its size and openess. Here's Darl standing against some columns formed when the stalagtites meet the stalagmites....
Craybacks, you can see why they are called this. We haven't seen this formation before in any of the caves we have done, but this is still a staligmite (or tite) - growing from the ground up.
Walking down the stairs from the Nettle Cave, I have lost count how many stairs we have gone up and down today. The lush green embankments covered in a deadly stinging nettle, might be why they call it the Nettle Cave. Apparently it is extremely painful if touched. 
Carlotta Arch Way - It is believed it was named after a surveyor General PF Adams - Adams is accreditted with taking some of the earliest photos in a cave at Jenolan.
Up at the look down to Devils Coach House - this is where we were not long ago, walking through Devils Coach House and into the Nettle Cave. This is the north entrance to Devils Coash House, it is 150 feet high, 60 feet wide, total length 430 feet, greatest height 280 feet, greatest width 132 feet. Devils Coach House was created by a river, which now runs deep underground and can be seen on several of the cave tours.
We walked through the Coach House, up to the Look Down back past Carlotta Archway then down to the Caves House. This was along the way, note the stainless steel railings. They are on all the tracks, constructed at a great expense.
The Caves House, isn't it grand. In 1880 Jeremiah Wilson erected the first accommodation at the junction of Camp and Surveyors Creeks. By 1887 a large two storey wooden house had been built. Between 1887 and 1895 a second two storey building was erected. However in March 1895 a fire destroyed all the old accommodation leaving only the new building. Construction of the Caves House as you see it today commenced in 1898. Looks like a cool place for a getaway.
Back at camp for steak and vegies on the barby for tea..... A great day out exploring the Jenolan Caves and walk ways.
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