Any speleos out there?

Submitted: Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 18:56
ThreadID: 44466 Views:2238 Replies:4 FollowUps:3
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I was a keen caver (with SUSS) back in the '60s when I was in my 20's. I always wanted to get to go caving on the Nullabor but never made it. Mates discovered the extended Mullamalang back then.

Now I'm retired I'd like to go poking around out there. Does anyone know whether there are caves suitable for freelancing sixty-somethings? I've spent hours on Google Earth finding lots of named and un-named cave entrances, but I can't really tell if they're climb-in or scramble-in. I think my climbing days are past!

Also, are there restrictive regulations on some or all caves?

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Reply By: Mr Fawlty - Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 20:09

Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 20:09
Perhaps for some excitement you should try the Cu Chi caves, My son who is 30 found it diificult to fit and wondered how I did, mind you I was 20 then and so fit I had muscles on my do do's....
So you've done Bungonia, Cooleman, or even Yaranogbilly can be fun.
If you want walk thru try the lava tubes at Undarra....
If you want to be totally insulted try Jenolan, just don't stay overnight or eat the food....
Sea Caves were my thing for a while, but the damp gives my arthritis hell.
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Follow Up By: Member - Fizz (NSW) - Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 20:47

Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 20:47
Jenolan... what a joke now. I was a casual guide there in the 60's, and also went into many of the non-tourist caves, including lots of club trips into the caves up the valley - e.g. Mammoth Cave, Wiburd's Lake Cave etc.

Where is Cu Chi? Undarra?

Went to Yagby just after our club found and named the Restoration Cave there. Mucked around at Bungonia, but never made it to Coolemon.

Cheers!
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 21:52

Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 21:52
I was down at the Bungonia caves on exercise with a rescue group and police in the 80's. I didn't go down, but I did spy my first female rescue person there...does that count ? LOL
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Follow Up By: snow - Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 at 10:42

Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 at 10:42
Fizz, Cu Chi is in Vietnam mate.
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Reply By: Doggy Tease - Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 21:42

Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 21:42
Give Mundrabilla Station a call. They are on the W.A. side of the border.
I worked out there in my early 20's and found more caves that you could poke a stick at.
Some were just shafts straight down, like a hole had been drilled, problem was the hole was up to eight feet across.
Others were a scrabble down and went for miles underground. We even found one that went from the top of the plateau all the way to the ocean,,,,,about 35k long, but that was done by a cave exploring mob that spent three days down there.

meow.

rick.
AnswerID: 234340

Reply By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 22:13

Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007 at 22:13
Fizz ,

Are you only interested in the Nullarbor area caves ?

I was talking to an old gent the other day . He grew up around Cooma . He told me a farmer just out of Cooma noticed a small hole in his paddock . He enlarged this with Gelignite and a lot of the local teenagers lowered themselves down a long shaft to have a look around . I wonder if anyone ever explored this properly .

I had never heard of a cave around Cooma before this .

I had a great time once kayaking the Yarrangobilly River above the caves . At one point , the river just flowed down a hole in the side of a mountain . We carried our boats around to the other side and the river appeared again . Really great stuff , as we were able to paddle back up into the cave . But I digress .

Willie .
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Reply By: Baldrick - Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 at 14:50

Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 at 14:50
I used to do a lot of caving around Margaret River in WA but it just got more and more regulated until it wasn't worth the bother.

The two caving clubs in WA were incredibly cliquey, you had to be just about sleeping with the president to be taken seriously.
AnswerID: 234488

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