WILD
CAVE TOURS
Mole Creek, Tasmania, Australia
Autumn
Newsletter
2000
Most
half day trips this season have been
taking advantage of low water levels in
two particular caves- Honeycomb and Wet
Caves. Full day trips are only restricted
by the extent of your imagination. We are
still experiencing very dry conditions
here, and while the glow-worms await
autumn rains to bring fresh food supply,
they are still glowing.... however for us
humans, we can explore further in Wet Cave
in greater comfort and lower down into
Honeycomb Cave to see the lower pools and
passages. I'm afraid visitors will
probably still get wet feet! The best
parts of the cave- the "must see"
sections- do have some water. However, the
fun sections of Honeycomb, where I offer
the options of physical fun and
challenges, are not very muddy and so it
is easy to use cameras; to get those
"people shots"- photos of negotiating
spots that if you hadn't been there under
expert guidance would seem outrageous! I
know just which angle to shoot from to
create a big impression when passing the
photos around after the holiday! The
frequent daylight holes in Honeycomb are
very stunning with their mossy ferny
cliffs, and the roomy open nature of this
cave is very easy to accustom to for first
time cavers. The more physical challenges
and confined spaces are all optional. We
emerge on the far side of the hill to
where we entered and people are surprised
at how far we have come under the
ground.
The
countryside is very pretty just now,
morning dews have greened up the grass and
morning tea outside the cave under the gum
trees is very peaceful accompanied by all
the birdsong. The pace of the tour is very
much tailored to suit the clients on the
day, but I always find that the first cave
stimulates a hearty appetite and calls for
a break. Usually Wet Cave is the second
cave, and it is colder than the more open
Honeycomb. A very large and grand river
tunnel, something different opens up
around each corner, leading cavers on in
anticipation. The almost still, wide pools
of this cave at this time of the year
tempt photographers to linger and capture
the atmosphere on film. But don't linger
too long, otherwise we won't get to see
the tall canyons and massive crystal
formations of the inner recesses.
Testimony in my Visitors Book will urge to
go "all the way". Mind you, the water gets
a little deeper with each bend in the
river! It depends upon the willingness of
each person as to how far we take it. The
return trip is via the same route.
Exploration of a full 1,000m in length is
possible in this cave, and feedback
consistently tells of a strong sense of
peace and "wilderness" or remoteness that
is experienced here. We need to allow at
least 2 hours of in-cave time to fully
appreciate this cave. A minimum of 1 hour
will take in glow-worms, reflections and
some very unusual mineral
decorations.
Kind
regards, and all the best.
Deb
Hunter
Owner/operator
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