Journal of the Australasian and Management Association

No. 105 December 2016 Australia Post- Print Post Approved: PP381624/02050. ISSN 1835-5374 Published Quarterly The ACKMA Journal ACKMA Inc. OFFICE BEARERS 2016-17 Official Publication of the Australasian Cave and President Karst Management Association Incorporated Dale Calnin Email: [email protected] Published quarterly in March, June, September and New Zealand Vice President December Neil Collinson Email: [email protected] The opinions expressed in the ACKMA Journal are those of the individual authors and not necessarily Australian Vice President those of ACKMA Inc. or its officers. John Brush Email: [email protected] EDITOR: Steve Bourne Executive Officer SUB EDITORS: Tony Culberg, Andy Spate Dan Cove Email: [email protected] Photos taken by the authors or editor unless Treasurer and Membership Officer otherwise acknowledged. Deborah Carden Email: [email protected] PRINTER: Hansen Print, Smith Street, Naracoorte, South Australia 5271. Ph: (08) Publications Officer and ASF Liaison Officer 87623699 Steve Bourne Email: [email protected] ACKMA Inc. is cross affiliated or otherwise Committee member associated with: Scott Melton Email: [email protected] Australian Speleological Federation, New Zealand Speleological Society, Australasian Bat Society, Committee Member The WCPA Working Group on Cave and Karst Tim Moulds Email: [email protected] Protection, Guiding Organisations Australia, Bat Conservation International, American Cave Committee Member Conservation Association, International Show Ann Augusteyn Email: [email protected] Association, Association of Australia, The Malaysian Karst Society, The Webmaster Jenolan Caves Historical & Preservation Society Rauleigh Webb Email: [email protected] and the USA National Speleological Society and Management Section Public Officer LIFE MEMBERS of ACKMA Inc. Cath Loder Email: [email protected] Steve Bourne*, Michael Chalker*, Peter Chandler*, Brian Clark*, Alan Costigan, Grant Gartrell*, Kent Henderson*, Elery Hamilton- Smith*, Ernst Holland*, Greg Martin*, Chester Shaw*, Andy Spate*, Clyde Stiff, Dianne Vavryn*, Rauleigh Webb*, Kevan Wilde*, David Williams*. IN THIS ISSUE (*previously elected as Fellows) Editorial - Steve Bourne Page 3 FELLOWS of ACKMA Inc. President’s Message - Dale Calnin Page 5 John Ash, Anne Augusteyn, Peter Bell, Steve Bourne, Dale Calnin, Deborah Carden, Arthur Capricorn Caves - Ann Augusteyn Page 6 Clarke, Grant Gartrell, Ken Grimes, Ian Houshold, Julia James, Neil Kell, Kevin Keirnan, Lana Little, Vale Kenneth Grimes - Greg Middleton Robyn McBeath, Cathie Plowman, Dennis Rebbechi, Barry Richard, Dave Smith, John and Andy Spate Page 7 Watson, Nicholas White, Anne Wood, Phil Wood. Show Caves of Hawaii - John Brush Page 10 ACKMA PRESIDENTS ACKMA AGM Te Anau - Neil Collinson Page 17 Ernst Holland 1987-91, Andy Spate 1991-95, Michael Chalker 1995-97, Greg Martin 1997-99, The Effect of a rainfall event on Mole Creek caves Brian Clark1999-2001, Peter Dimond 2001-02, Peter Chandler 2002-03, Robyn McBeath 2003-05, - Rolan Eberhard Page 23 Steve Bourne 2005-11, Peter Chandler 2011-13, Dan Cove 2013-16 Dale Calnin 2016- Naracoorte Caves upgrades - Deborah Carden Page 28

Back to Jenolan - Kent Henderson Page 32 FRONT COVER: Lava straw, , A visit to the Cradle of Humankind - Steve Bourne Page 34 Hawaii Photo: John Brush Andysez- Andy Spate Page 38

Indonesia, South Korea, Sarawak - Andy Spate page 39

Page 2 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 EDITORIAL Steve Bourne

Somehow another journal has managed to materialise! Thank you to the contributors who have taken the time to add their work to the ever growing volume of knowledge recorded by ACKMA members. I think we sometimes underestimate the value of what we do, and this was obvious when I visited Indonesia in September with Andy Spate to participate in a cave and karst management workshop. The Indonesian Speleological Society is new, energetic and seeking to establish guidelines to improve the management of caves and karst throughout Indonesia, no small task when you consider the Indonesian Archipelago is made up of around 18,000 islands! This journal includes an obituary, recognising the contribution of Ken Grimes to cave and karst management and research. Deborah Carden’s report on developments at Naracoorte Caves is dedicated to Ken, as he provided his wisdom to this project.

Liz Reed being photographed by Australian Geographic photographer Bill Bachman in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte.

Rolan Eberhard provides a report on the June floods in Tasmania. I have just returned from Tasmania and Marakoopa Cave is still closed as a result of this freak rain event. John Brush provides a report on the Vulcanospeleology Conference in Hawaii, complemented as always with excellent images. Kent Henderson’s report on a trip to Jenolan raises concerns about infrastructure that is not surviving in the cave environment, a real concern, and something that I observed in King Solomons Cave in Tasmania. Their lights are reacting and appear to be deteriorating rather quickly. I hope the funds can be found by cave managers to address issues such as these. I have had a busy few months in ; Nullarbor, Tasmania Liz Reed and I were contacted by a local resident who had and Indonesia. The Indonesian Speleological Society (ISS) held found a “cave”. Her boys had dug a hole under the calcrete a cave and karst management workshop and invited ACKMA to surface and continued digging. At last check, it is still growing attend. Andy Spate and I attended as invited keynote speakers. and providing hours of entertainment and exercise excavating sediment from it.

Corrections Journal 104 contained an excellent paper by Garry K. Smith on calthemites. Unfortunately it contains 2 errors in equations where subscripts were missed meaning the equations don't anatomically balance. Equations 1 and 2 on page 18 should read

CaO(s) + H2O(l) ↔ Ca(OH)2(aq) ↔ Ca2+(aq) + 2OH− (aq) [1]

Any (CO2) trapped in the mix reacts with the Ca(OH)2 to precipitate CaCO3 within the concrete structure [Equation 2].

Ca(OH)2(aq) + CO2 (g) ↔ CaCO3(s) + H2O(l) [2]

On page 19, fourth line from the bottom on the left column, should read CO2, not CO2. Apologies to Garry for these errors.

17th International Congress of Registration is now open Early-bird registration rates open until 31 January 2017

The congress will be a once in a lifetime event for Australian and New Zealand cavers as this event is unlikely to be held in the Australasian region again in our lifetimes. The congress will provide tremendous opportunities for local cavers to meet with international cavers, hear their presentations and make invaluable connections for visiting caves in other countries. With less than five months until early-bird registration closes, it’s time to talk to your speleological colleagues about the many benefits of attending the 17th ICS. Full details at www.speleo2017.com

Page 3 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 The workshop was held in Bandung, about 180km from energetic and interested group on cave interpretation. Jakarta, but due to the incredibly heavy traffic, over 4 hours Indonesia has relatively few show caves and is keen to develop driving time. The workshop location was the university campus more, but is very conscious of doing this correctly. Their of tourism business management. All students work uniforms proposed guide training and accreditation program is excellent and are the most polite people you would ever want to meet. and exceeds what we have in the cave industry in Australia. Sherly was assigned to look after me ensuring I had drinks, Accredited guide programs were discussed at the Rockhampton food and any other needs catered for. AGM in May. Some Queensland guides are part of the The workshop commenced with formal introductions, then the Savannah Guides program, and Jenolan Caves (and maybe singing of the national anthem. It was Friday, so the workshop others?) has delivered certificate courses in the past, but we program had a couple of hours break for prayers, and don't have a national program as Indonesia is seeking to commenced in earnest after lunch. During the lunch break, establish. Andy gave a presentation on Australian caves, a whirl wind One presentation was from the Pacitan province, which tour of the Australian cave scene. This was very useful as it set includes the Goa Gong. The lighting is not to our the scene for our later talks. tastes, being lit with a multitude of colours. it is a major visitor Andy was the first speaker on the topic of show cave attraction though, with numbers increasing from 148,000 in management - good and bad. I followed with an example of a 2013 to 247,000 in 2015, and 221,000 for the first 7 months of cave redevelopment, a project in Victoria Fossil Cave from a few 2016. as you would imagine, this accelerated rate in visitor years ago, which was presented to ACKMA in 2009 in Western numbers is placing huge pressure on the infrastructure and Australia. We were followed by some local speakers, who challenging for cave managers. It was a pity is was a little too presented in Indonesian. This made it very challenging for the far from our location to visit as I think it would be quite an eye mono linguistic Australians! opener in more ways than one. The following day Andy and I worked with two different groups; I had the honour of meeting Prof Robbie Ko and conversing Andy on show cave management and I worked with a very with him for quite some time. Prof Ko was a friend of Elery Hamilton-Smith. He gave me a copy of a bound collection of his papers and its easy to see why he and Elery were such good friends. Like Elery, his interests and expertise are wide ranging and his writings reflect this. Such is Prof Ko’s status in cave and karst management, he received an extended standing ovation when he entered the workshop.

Presenting books to Cahyo Ramadi, President of the Indonesian With Prof Robbie Ko and student at the Indonesian workshop Speleological Society

17th International Congress of Speleology

Two scholarships are available to the 17th International Congress of Speleology. The scholarships are specifically for people from countries in the South-East Asia and Oceania areas and we are seeking people who would otherwise not have the economic resources to attend an international congress. Applications are invited from people: • Associated with the management and conservation of caves and karst; or • Undertaking studies associated with caves or karst in South-East Asia or Oceania; • Who are a citizen of a country in South-East Asia or Oceania.

Please refer to the conference website www.speleo2017.com for details on how to apply

Page 4 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Dale Calnin

Earlier this year our then President, Dan Cove sent an pleasure in meeting the late Elery Hamilton-Smith, our friend important message to all ACKMA Members regarding the and inspiration in Cave and Karst Management. For me that importance and longevity of ACKMA. was the turning point of my career. Direction and inspiration It followed a very thoughtful session held at the 2015 had been provided and from there on l just wanted to make a Conference at Naracoorte where we did a bit of soul-searching difference in the management of caves and karst resources. and reflection on why exactly ACKMA exists, why it is And of course this personal ambition has been made so much important and what shape it should take into the future. There easier due to the fantastic people l have been fortunate to work was strong agreement among attending members that the with along the way or have met as a result. foundational reasons for the existence of ACKMA remained The past 12 months or so has been a difficult and testing time valid today. These include: for us with the sad loss of some of our dearest and finest • Cave and karst management is a complex specialised leaders in Cave and Karst. Although they can never be field requiring a fusion of expertise from scientists, replaced, l know their legacy will live on forever. cavers, managers and operational staff particularly cave Despite this loss, I believe ACKMA today still provides great guides to achieve long term and sustainable source of leadership and inspiration, not only for its existing management principles members but particularly for those embarking on a career or • A network, such as that established by ACKMA, is an interest in Cave and Karst management. Like the many new invaluable tool for those in the business of cave/karst faces we met at the Rockhampton guide school and AGM, the management. refreshing attitude of this group gave us all hope for the future. • Environmental protection and broad conservation Our next ACKMA gathering in Te Anau New Zealand 2017, require the existence of advocacy groups, and ACKMA is again promises another wonderful opportunity to learn and placed to be an advocate for issues related to cave/ network with our fellow contemporaries, and to be inspired. karst As the summer holiday period rapidly approaches, on behalf of • There is no other Association in Australasia with the the ACKMA Executive Committee, I offer all ACKMA members same environmental and management focus as ACKMA the very best wishes for Christmas and a happy and safe New and therefore no viable alternative forum for analysis of Year. No doubt 2017 will again be an eventful and progressive issues likely to affect future management principles. year and l look forward to continuing to work with you all in furthering the objectives of our association. Given the changes in management approaches that were impacting our commercial operational sites at the time, the consensus reached from our discussions in many ways were reassuring for the future and that it highlighted the very need of specialist professional associations such as ACKMA become of even greater importance. In more recent times l have been a little more self- indulgent and have reflected on what exactly ACKMA has meant to me personally during my involvement in Cave and Karst Management. For all the many wonderful and meaningful things one could list about the importance of ACKMA, for me the vital ingredient not to overlook is the people that make up our organisation, and their ability to lead and inspire others. You only have to experience an ACKMA event, a Conference and/or mini conference such as an AGM gathering to come away feeling more enthused and empowered. President Dale (left) with Ben Calnin, Phil McGuinn (back) and Scott Adams at The Pinnacles, Mulu I can always remember the National Park, during the 2010 ACKMA meeting. very first time l had the Photo: Dale Calnin

Page 5 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 HAPPENINGS at CAPRICORN CAVES 2016 Ann Augusteyn

The year ended on a high note for Capricorn Caves. Starting with the Queensland Gala award ceremony in Brisbane we were delighted to win the silver award for tourist attractions. Our guests included Dr Scott Hocknull and Rochelle Lawrence, who joined us in our enthusiastic applause for the top gong going to Australian Age of Dinosaurs located in Outback Queensland. They outclassed the major Gold Coast theme parks and Australia Zoo.

Back L-R. Scott Hocknull, Robert Augusteyn, Jordan Wheeler Front L-R. Marnie Augusteyn, Ann Augusteyn, Amandan Hinton, Rochelle Lawrence at the Queensland Tourism Awards. Photo: Profile Photographics

We finally organised a presentation of the donation from ACKMA delegates collected at our May AGM for The Caves State School. Eighty school students enjoyed a complimentary L-R Liz Jack, Rosemary Nugget and Ann Augusteyn day at Capricorn Caves when we presented the School Captain, Alana Tighe, with a cheque for $500. Alana’s mother was one of our very first guides employed in her university vacations They asked me to extend their grateful thanks to the Cave twenty odd years ago! The school were delighted with the managers. donation which will contribute to teacher resources next year. Finally we hosted some very special visitors, Rosemary Nugget from Mimbi Caves in the Kimberleys and Liz Jack, business development officer for West Australian indigenous tourism. Rosemary and Ron Nugget operate cave tours and a campground at Mimbi Caves on Mt. Pierre Station near Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. Rose and Liz Jack travelled to Capricorn Caves to research new ideas in tourism. Over four years ago I had the privilege through Savannah Guides Ltd of visiting Mimbi Caves and meeting Rose and her husband Ronnie Nugget. Both our caves have common origins in the Devonian coral reef 390 million years ago and evidence of ancient marine fossils is abundant at Mimbi. But we have evolved into very different but amazing visitor experiences. At Mimbi we learnt so much about the Dreaming stories and their significance to the Gooniyandi people; it was like walking into someone’s home, it was so personal. At Capricorn we still aim to create a personal but different visitor experience.” For Rose the visit to Capricorn was the highlight of her 10 day trip to Queensland. “It has been wonderful to meet up with Ann again and experience the friendliness and professionalism Ann Augusteyn prresenting the ACKMA donation to Jake of Ann and her team. We both have a responsibility and Augusteyn (son of John and Marnie) and Aklana Tighe, School wonderful opportunity as cave owners to share our caves with Captain, Caves State School our visitors. I’m going home with many ideas for our own cave

Page 6 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 VALE KENNETH G. GRIMES Greg Middleton and Andy Spate

Ken Grimes was one of Australia’s most experienced and academically capable speleologists. His sudden accidental death on his rural property on 17 August 2016 came as a great shock to the caving community and means that Australia has lost one of its most enthusiastic and able speleological investigators and advocates. Ken was born in October 1944 in Maryborough, Queensland. He studied geology and geomorphology at the University of Queensland between 1964 and 1968 and graduated Batchelor of Science with Honours in geology. He undertook further studies 1973-79. At UQ he took up caving with the University of Queensland Speleological Society in the mid-60s, joining such luminaries as Henry Shannon, Dave Gillieson, Tony Sprent and Michael Bourke. In 1968 he started with the Geological Survey of Queensland, working on the groundwater resources of the Lockyer Valley. From 1969 to 1991 he was a Geologist in the Regional Mapping Section of the Geological Survey of Queensland where his work included some joint projects with the Bureau of Mineral Resources. As early as 1973 he produced a report on Ashford Cave in far northern NSW, in which he subtly refuted any suggestion that it might replace (in either scientific or recreational terms) the Texas Caves, were they to be flooded by a dam. In 1978 Ken prepared a significant paper on the geology and geomorphology of the Texas Caves in SE Queensland, published by the Queensland Museum. This work benefited significantly from work done on the caves by UQSS and much of Ken’s fieldwork was done in association with that society (which became defunct about the mid 80s). Ken about to enter a at Mt Napier, 16 January 2007. During his time with the Survey he worked on regional Photo: Greg Middleton geological mapping, specialising in Cainozoic and Mesozoic deposits. Some of the regions contained no karst (such as Fraser Island) but sometimes he managed to work on carbonate rocks (e.g. the Dobbyn Sheet, including the Carl Creek Limestone at Riversleigh and the Camooweal Dolomite). He carried out major studies on evolution of the Carpentaria Plains and the old landsurfaces of north Queensland. He was subsequently involved in Cainozoic mapping projects throughout most of Queensland. In 1990 Ken left government employ and set up as a Consultant Geomorphologist, concentrating on karst, karst-like phenomena and regolith. He called his company Regolith Mapping. About this time he and his wife, Janeen (who had also been a UQSS member; they married about 1970) moved to a rural property at Hamilton in Western Victoria. In March 1991 they joined the Victorian Speleological Association. Ken was convener of the Surveying and Mapping Standards Commission of ASF and was Queensland co-ordinator of the Australian Karst Index for the period 1975-91. Ken published many papers, book chapters and posters on karst and Ken explaining the form of H52-53 in the South Canal at Mt speleological topics. He was recognised world-wide for his work Eccles, Victoria, 16 January 2007, during Western District on sandstone and laterite ‘pseudokarst’, on syngenetic karst Volcanic Province excursion, following the and on various forms of karren. Ken was meticulous in ASF Conference at Mt Gambier, SA. acknowledging the contributions of others in reviewing and Photo: Greg Middleton contributing to his writings.

Page 7 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Ken negotiating a squeeze, The Theatre H33, Byaduk, Victoria, 15 January 2007. Photo: Greg Middleton

After he became a private consultant, Ken contributed to the World Heritage submission on the Nullarbor (1992), provided advice to the Commonwealth Government on the rehabilitation of the karst landforms at Benders Quarry in Tasmania, documented the karst of the south-east of South Australia for the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service,

Prof. Stefan Kempe, Ken Grimes and Árni Stefanson at entrance to Mt Hamilton Cave H2, Mount Hamilton, Victoria during 14th Ken in Carmichaels Cave H70, International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology field excursion to Mount Eccles, 8 August 2010. Western Victoria, 7 August 2010 Photo: Greg Middleton Photo: Greg Middleton

Page 8 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Top left. Measuring conductivity, Mares Forest Creek, Wombeyan (Ken closer to camera). 26 September 2005. Top right. Ken and Marj Coggan, North Pole Cave, Mt Eccles, Victoria, 8 August 2010. Bottom left. Ken explaining the marble breccia in the Victoria Arch, Wombeyan,NSW during a karst management course 26 September 2005 Bottom right. Ken in keyhole passage, Grants Cave, Wombeyan, NSW, 26 September 2005. chaired an independent review of the status of the Sellicks Hill the International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology in 2010 Quarry Cave for the South Australian Government, and gave after he had become an authority on volcanic caves. advice on stability and pollution problems at tourist cave areas In the late 1970s and 80s Ken gave occasional lectures on karst and for quarries in cavernous limestone. He was part of a team geomorphology and related topics at the University of that studied the hazards and other aspects of the caves and Queensland and Griffith University. Between 2000 and about karst of Christmas Island for Parks Australia. He was part of the 2009 he prepared and oversaw the course on Karst Hydrology team which advised the Commonwealth environment for Charles Sturt University’s Karst Management Course. department of the significance of Australia’s and ‘pseudokarsts’ preparing a number of papers including a major Since 1999 Ken co-edited Helictite, the Journal of Australasian report on the ‘pseudokarsts’ of northern Australia. Speleological Research, with Dr Susan White OAM for ASF. They rejuvenated the journal and commenced its conversion to a fully At the 1999 ACKMA conference at Mount Gambier, he gave the on-line (digital) publication, issued free of charge. Ken opening paper on "The Gambier Karst", and also an introduction personally laid-out and formatted all issues of Helictite since to "Karst hydrology and Australian Karsts" to the theme session 1999, employing his considerable graphics and communication on "The Water Below". He contributed a paper on "Syngenetic skills. and Eogenetic Karst" to the book Evolution of Karst (2002) and wrote the entry on "Syngenetic Karst" in the Encyclopedia of Ken was an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and Caves and Karst Science (2004). He provided two significant meticulous fieldworker and scientist in the fields of geology and chapters in the 2009 book Karst Rock Features: Karren caves (in both karst and lava). Always ready to impart his Sculpturing – the most significant text on karren. knowledge and to challenge inquisitive minds, he enjoyed teaching and explaining the processes that shape the earth Ken prepared a number of field guides to the karst areas of beneath us. He will be sorely missed. western Victoria and Mt Gambier for various ASF and ACKMA conferences and on the Volcanic Caves of Western Victoria for

Page 9 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 SHOW CAVES of HAWAII John Brush Canberra Speleological Society Inc

Hawaii is renowned for its luxury resorts, huge surf, For the sake of completeness, I have also included details of a Macadamia nuts (a Hawaiian native, or so many locals would cave that has formed in aeolian calcarenite (dune limestone) on have you believe) and volcanic eruptions but it is not widely Kauai, which is one of the oldest islands in the Hawaiian known for caves. However, as any self-respecting speleo could chain. tell you, Hawaii has many note-worthy caves, including the longest, deepest, and arguably the most spectacular and colourful lava caves in the world. And also some of the The Big Island (Hawaii) youngest.

The Hawaiian Islands are essentially volcanic and formed as Kula Kai Caverns the Pacific tectonic plate moved in a northwesterly direction over a mantle hot spot. This is an upwelling of superheated Kula Kai Caverns is the only ‘conventional’ show cave molten rock from the mantle that is expressed at the surface operation on the island - conventional in the sense that guided as volcanic eruptions. The result is a chain of islands that tours along formed paths are offered into sections of the cave become successively younger to the southeast and it is on the that have been lit. Several off-trail adventure trips for which two youngest islands - Maui and Hawaii (the “Big Island”) that light, helmets, knee pads and gloves are provided are also most of the lava caves, effectively drained lava flows, can be available. Tour prices range from $US20 for the 30 minute on- found. trail tour to $US60-95 for the adventure trips. All tours must be pre-booked, partly because the cave is located within a Although many lava caves are known, mostly on the Big Island, gated housing development in the Ocean View area of only a handful are accessible to the general public, usually as southwestern Hawaii and an access code is required for entry commercial show or adventure caves but there are also a few onto the estate. For more information, see: well-known public access caves. These are noted below. It is www.kulakaicaverns.com not an exhaustive list but was believed to be complete at the time of writing. In February 2016, Marjorie and I had an The Kula Kai operation is owned by Ric Elhard and Rose opportunity to experience most of these caves while visiting Herrera (who helped organise the recent Vulcanospeleology Hawaii for a meeting and symposium of the IUS (International symposium) and day to day operations are managed by Gary Union of Speleology) Commission on Volcanic Caves. Gura.

Marjorie at the end of the show cave route (and the starting point for adventure tours) in Kula Kai Caverns.

Page 10 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Admiring the roof along the adventure tour route in Kula Kai Caverns, part of the extensive Kipuka Kanohina system.

Kula Kai is part of the huge Kipuka Kanohina system, a complex system of interconnected passages (think in terms of braided streams) that are believed to be about 1000 years old. With more than 45 km of passage on multiple levels, it is the second longest lava cave system, and one of the most complex, in the world. The Kanohina system was the major focus for field trips during the 2016 symposium. Marjorie and I did two trips into the Kula Kai part of the system: a self-guided trip along the Are we lost? A map is handy for showing visitors exactly formed pathways and an extensive off-trail through trip led by where they are in the complex Kula Kai system. Ric Elhard that included some of the route used on his adventure trips. So while we did not experience the commercial tours as such, we did get a taste of what they offered. crawling along a’a lava or across loose breakdown. Put simply, it is not cave for those who have ankle problems or who forgot to Depending on what is required for easy passage, the show cave pack their knee pads or gloves (both of which are thoughtfully pathways are surfaced with fine scoria, concrete or lava blocks. provided on the adventure trips). Along the way, the relatively Timber is used for a short ladder to an upper level section, for short sections of smooth/ pahoehoe floor are a welcome change. two viewing platforms and for handrails in the odd place that White and cream-coloured secondary mineralisation (calcite or requires them. The ISCA guidelines now frown on the use of gypsum) and bacterial colonies are common and do much to wood in caves, but the local Ohi'a timbers used in the cave do brighten up what would otherwise be very dark passages. The not seem out of place as roots of Ohi’a trees occur naturally off-trail route is in excellent condition and there are few signs of throughout the system. The lighting is simple but aesthetic and previous visitation, apart from trespassing notices - presumably while we thought the path lighting was a bit dim in a couple of along the line of a surface property boundary, a few faint places, necessitating the use of our caving lights, we were told footpad marks on smooth floors, survey markers and artefacts. that on normal tours it is fine as the pace is slower and so The artefacts include charcoal fragments and triangular rock visitors’ eyes have time to adjust. arrangements that were used to support gourds for collecting The adventure route heads off across a rough a’a lava floor from drip water, indicating the caves were an important source of the end of the upper level branch of the formed trail. In fact, water to indigenous inhabitants in a very dry part of the island. much of the adventure route involves walking, scrambling or

Marjorie and a large lava ball in Kula Kai. Lava balls Rough walking across an a’a lava floor in Kula Kai Caverns. are stranded lumps of rock that were carried along in a lava stream and now ‘welded’ into place.

Page 11 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Typical passage section, Kazumura Cave, Pit Room trip – note the “tide-marks” or lava benches along the walls.

Ric is very concerned about protecting his cave and was careful nominal party size limit is 6 for the 2 shorter trips and 4 for the to steer visitors away from sensitive features. He also gave us a Maze trip. However, Harry will allow a slightly larger party size lot of information about the cave and its pre-European history. if group members know each other and/ or are experienced The cave is well worth a visit, especially for a longer trip if time cavers. For further details see: www.kazumuracave.com . and circumstances permit. Before entering the cave for the Pit Room trip, Harry briefed our group (Dirk Stoffels, Lilly Petrovic, Matt and Niki from England Kazumura Cave and Marjorie and me) and ensured that we were suitably equipped with helmets, lights and gloves. As we were all cavers, For those who would like to experience the world’s longest lava we had our own equipment, but Harry normally provides these cave, several adventure trip options are available. The statistics things. He also made sure we had sturdy, enclosed footwear for Kazumura Cave are impressive. It has over 65 km of and were wearing long pants or overalls. passage and has an elevation difference of 1100m, making not only the longest, but also the deepest lava cave in the world and the deepest cave in the USA. The straight line distance between its highest (most westerly) point and the lower end near the east coast of Hawaii is a staggering 32 km. It reputedly has more than 40 entrances and underlies more than 100 separate properties – much of the cave is beneath low density residential subdivisions. During the vulcanospeleology symposium, field trips were offered into a section near the upper end and to passages in a section towards the lower end. However, some of us also signed up for commercial ‘adventure’ trips operated by Harry Shick. Harry has been running trips into a central section of the cave for about 20 years and estimates that over that time he has guided about 7000 people through the 500 year old cave. Harry offers 3 trips: an easy 2 hour trip to a set of lava falls; a longer 4 hour “Pit Room” trip that progresses further up-slope (mauka, to use the Hawaiian term) and involves more scrambling and climbing; and a 6 hour “Maze” trip in the opposite (down-slope or makai) direction and for which (your At the Pit Room, end point of the Kazumura own) SRT gear is required. Prices are $US30 for the short trip, 4 hour adventure trip. $US50 for the Pit Room and $US75 for the SRT trip. The

Page 12 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Clusters of fine roots in Kazumura Cave.

below, the crust collapsed to form a shallow circular pit, hence the name Pit Room. On the walls and roof above the falls, spray - or more correctly lava spatter – has created a dense forest of lava . A most spectacular place to end our mauka journey. The 1.5 km return trip to the entrance was faster, but still not unduly hurried. Harry was still eager to point out things of interest and was very particular about ensuring we kept within the marked trail – he uses flagging tape (which looks to be due for replacement) to mark off sensitive or delicate areas. He was also most insistent that we never touched any rock surface with bare hands to avoid contaminating the cave. Two days later, Dirk and I returned to Harry’s to do the 6 hour Maze trip. It was a 90 minute drive from where we were staying in the Ocean View area and we arrived about 45 minutes early. No problem, and as nobody else had booked to do the trip, Harry was happy to head into the cave as soon as we were ready. Climbing one of Harry’s home-made a ladders at a set of falls on the Pit Room trip, Kazumura Cave. At the base of the entrance ladders we turned left and headed makai. Around the corner we were rather surprised to find a large concrete tank almost blocking the passage. The tank had All Harry’s trips enter and leave Kazumura Cave through an a sealed corrugated iron top and there was a vertical PVC pipe entrance in his backyard. A strategically placed toilet provides leading into it from the cave roof. We were even more surprised the last opportunity for a comfort stop before descending into to learn that this was Harry’s septic tank. It seems that when the cave on a series of rigid, home-made ladders. Each ladder the family home was being built, an excavator digging a pit for comprises a single length of thick-walled PVC pipe, drilled to the septic system broke through into the cave. As the bottom of accept lengths of re-bar for rungs, filled with concrete for added the pit was suddenly about 15m down, the builder decided to strength and to hold the rungs in place, and then bolted to the cave wall. After a short ladder at the entrance pitch, there is a short section of upper level passage and then a drop of about 8m on 2 separate ladders to the floor level of the main passage. For the next couple of hours, it was easy walking along smooth lava floors in a spacious passage, interspersed with several climbs up lava falls and cascades and over a couple of breakdown piles. Harry has installed ladders on all the falls and where necessary, has handlines on the cascades. The pace was quite leisurely and there was plenty of time to take photos, admire the lava features and also view all the cave biology, most of which was pointed out by Harry - he certainly has a good eye for cave bugs. There was also ample time to listen to some of Harry’s philosophies on cave formation and the like. The turn-around point of our trip was the Pit Room, an enlarged section of passage at the base of a lava fall about 6 m high. The widened passage and a plunge pool are erosional features resulting from turbulent flow of lava as it plunged over the falls, much in the same manner as would happen with a waterfall. Later on in the cave formation process, when the flow of lava Dirk picking his way along a brightly coloured section of declined and temperatures started to fall, the lava pool crusted Kazumura – note the wide lava benches, over and subsequently, when it lost the support of molten lava partly collapsed along the walls.

Page 13 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Negotiating a low section of the main passage, Kazumura Cave. construct a tank on the cave floor. We did not care to ask where Moving swiftly along, it was easy going in the main passage. the treated waste water went. There was no return pipe to the There are some small breakdown areas and a couple of short surface that we could see and fortunately, there was no odour. vertical climbs but mostly it was a casual amble on relatively This arrangement was somewhat at odds with the ‘tread-softly’ smooth lava floors. At every cluster of tree roots we stopped to approach to the cave that Harry espouses. This is not to look for invertebrates such as tiny blind, white fantail bugs that criticise Harry specifically, but it does highlight the challenge of were fairly easy to spot once we knew what we were looking for. maintaining a pristine environment in cave that underlies non- Much of this section of Kazumura is very dark (black, grey, deep sewered residential areas. Avoid drinking any drip water, is the brown rock), but some sections are a bright rust-red colour – simple message. usually on the lower walls and floor. The red colour is usually just a thin skin and indicates the presence of Haematite, reflecting a different oxidation state of the iron compounds as the lava cooled. After a short stooping section, the passage opened out and then dropped over the 11 metre high Eureka Falls. At the base there was a 16-17m wide plunge pool, or as some call it, a collapsed lava lake – reminding me of a favourite story of rangers in the nearby Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. Some of their public lectures include reference to Kazumura and its lava lakes, occasionally prompting questions about whether it is possible to snorkel in the lava lakes. “Only if you had been there 500 years ago and had a very thick asbestos wet suit” is the response rangers wished they were able to give. From the base of the falls we continued makai to the top of the spectacular Red Column Falls then retraced our steps back to a point where we could climb into an upper level. Here we skirted around a jungle-filled pit entrance and entered a complex of crawl-sized passages. A bit unnecessary, Dirk and I thought, until we saw the main attraction – bright red lava dribbles, multi-coloured clusters of lava straws up to about 40cm long and tall lava , which are relatively rare. After Dirk and Harry on the collapsed crust of a plunge pool (or lava crawling around and taking photos for about an hour, we used lake) below Eureka Falls, Kazumura Cave. our SRT gear to abseil back to the main passage and then

Page 14 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Dirk Stoffels and Harry Shick (guide) emerging from Kazumura Cave after the 6-hour Maze trip. ascend the rope we had left hanging at Eureka Falls. We were then heading mauka and on the homeward journey. As we were making good time, there was ample opportunity for taking more photos on our return trip and we reached the surface just on 6 hours after entering the cave. All in all it was a relaxed, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable trip. Another outfit running adventure tours into a section of Kazumura is called Kilauea Caverns of Fire. Little is known about the operation but according to its website (www.kilaueacavernsoffire.com), it offers 1 hour underground walking tours for groups of up to 20 people and 3 hour adventure trips for groups of 8. Tickets cost $US29 and $US89 respectively.

Thurston (Nahuku) Thurston lava tube, in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, is undoubtedly the most widely known and visited cave in Hawaii. The cave is electrically lit and a well-formed trail leads to the entrance from a nearby carpark. Although the cave is short (not much more than 100 metres long), and has been vandalised An historic postcard image of the Thurston lava tube, the most over the years, it is still interesting and worthy of a visit. It also commonly visited lava cave in Hawaii. has an important educational role in that it is the only lava cave that many of its visitors will ever experience. The cave was named after Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher, who is credited with discovering it in 1913. Today, use of its Hawaiian name (Nahuku) is becoming more common. The cave can be visited at any time and there is no entry fee apart from the National Park entrance fee ($US20/vehicle, valid for 7 days).

Airport Lava Tubes This system is located near the main coastal highway (Hwy 19) about 5 kilometres north of Kona airport. It comprises several short sections of passage separated by roof collapses. Much of the passage is walk-through sized and, with some fascinating features and a large entrance right beside the highway, it is a pleasant introduction to the lava caves of Hawaii after a long flight. As the main walk-in entrance can be clearly seen from the highway, the cave attracts many casual visitors and there is some graffiti and a little rubbish. The official access status to Looking out towards the highway entrance of Airport Lava Cave. this cave is not clear, but as there are no “access prohibited” signs, and there is a pull-off area for vehicles next to the entrance, it seems safe to assume it can be regarded as a public access cave.

Page 15 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Kaumana Cave is a very popular public-access cave located Wai’anapanapa Caves about 6 km from Hilo on the highway (Route 200) heading west Several short lava tubes, some with pools, can be visited in the and into the interior of the island. The main entrance is on a Wai’anapanapa State Park along Maui’s east coast. It is a small reserve maintained by the County of Hawaii, which has popular walking and swimming area and the ability to swim in provided picnic and toilet facilities and a concrete staircase or explore the caves is an added bonus. leading into the cave. There is no installed lighting and so a good light is necessary to explore the cave passages mauka and makai from the entrance steps. It is worth going for a couple of Oahu hundred metres in both directions to see some spectacular lava features on the walls and floor. These include bright red ropey (“pahoehoe”) and smooth brown lava floors, tube-in-tube Kaneana (Makua) Caves structures, very rough (“a’a”) lava floors, lava shelves and levee Kaneana Cave is a large and obvious walk-in entrance beside banks. In addition there are curtains of fine tree roots and the Farrington Highway about 60km northwest of Honolulu and extensive areas of white or gold-coloured bacterial colonies. there is a convenient parking area across the road. The cave Most of the cave looks very fresh, almost as if the lava has only appears to be a raised sea cave that has been considerably just cooled, which in geological terms it did. From modified by breakdown and erosion. Several other caves, contemporary reports it is known that the cave formed over a collectively known as Upper Kaneana Caves, occur in the rock period of just a few weeks during eruptions in 1881. Indeed, it faces high above the main entrance. According to information is one of the youngest lava caves that can be visited anywhere. on the Web, they can be reached by following informal tracks up With easy access to the cave, it is hardly surprising that vandals steep scrambles and across exposed traverses. have left their mark with spray paint and by chipping graffiti The Kaneana Caves are the least interesting of all the caves into smooth floor lavas near the entrance. However, there was listed here. surprisingly little rubbish in the cave at the time of our visit. The cave is several kilometres long and extends beyond the boundaries of the County Park and under private property. A Kauai warning notice at the entrance advises that under state law, permission is required to enter sections beneath private Makauwahi Cave property but notes that there are no markers in the cave to indicate where the boundaries are. Makauwahi Cave is a limestone cave located close to the south coast of Kauai where beach sands have blown a short distance inland and accumulated and lithified in a similar manner to the calcareous dune sand accumulations in coastal regions of southern Australia. I have not visited the site, but it is claimed to be Hawaii’s largest limestone cave (see: www.cavereserve.org/). Its principal feature appears to be a large collapse doline some 30m across. Passages containing some decoration lead off from the doline and there is a small underground freshwater lake. The cave is on private property but is managed by a not-for- profit organisation that has opened the cave for public inspections, constructed walking trails around the area and developed an ambitious program for removing weeds and re- establishing native vegetation. The facilities and on-going work have been made possible through funding assistance from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, private donations and the help of volunteers. Research work on sediment deposits in the cave is providing At the main entrance to Kaumana Cave. valuable insights into climatic, flora and fauna changes in the area over the last 10,000 years. The cave attracts about 20,000 visitors a year. Guided tours of Maui the cave and area are available several times a week and at other times, it is usually open for self-guided trips. Tours are free, but donations are welcomed to help with on- Hana Cave / Ka’eleku Cavern going rehabilitation and research efforts. The only show cave on Maui is Hana (Ka’eleku) Cave. It is a self-guiding show cave operation located several kilometres northwest of the town of Hana on the eastern side of the island. Concluding remarks The cave has handrails and interpretive signs and although it is The Hawaiian Islands have an amazing range of easily- not electrically lit, torches are apparently provided for visitors. accessible caves that will captivate anyone with an interest in We have not visited the cave, but according to its website caves. Most of those mentioned above have spectacular or (www.mauicave.com) it is “Maui’s greatest natural wonder” and unusual features, are very close to parking areas, require no is “the world’s premier lava show cave”. These are very bold special equipment or skills and, depending on the cave, can be (and somewhat typical US-style) claims indeed, but from images visited with a guide or on a self-guided basis. Some can even be on the website, it does appear to have some interesting features seen free of charge. Be sure to set aside sufficient time to visit including lava stalactites and stalagmites and a huge lava ball. at least a couple of them if you have the opportunity of visiting The cave is open every day of the year and is billed as being an in Hawaii. incredible family adventure that is safe, fun and free of mosquitoes and bats.

Page 16 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 ACKMA AGM WEEKEND 4 to 8 MAY 2017 PROPOSED PROGRAM for the CAVE GUIDES’ GATHERING AND ACKMA AGM TE ANAU, FIORDLAND, NEW ZEALAND Neil Collinson

The event will be based in Te Anau and will focus on sharing group and during the walk there will be sessions on experiences in Fiordland National Park which includes both interpretation techniques and “guiding” principles. Each karst, caves and bush settings. location offers something very different and will ensure we can Fiordland is known as the “Mountains of Water” and rainfall in keep group size appropriate to the locations. most of the areas to be visited is between 1.5 and 3.5m Hollyford Valley – This option will be aimed at the guides, annually. In the heart of the park rainfall exceeds 7m annually. with a strong focus on the importance and value of developing In May temperatures will be range between zero and 12 thematic interpretation. This will be a relatively flat walk in the degrees. iconic Hollyford Valley alongside the Hollyford River. A key Therefore all participants will need to be prepared for this theme of this walk is Maori and early European history climate. The areas to be visited is relatively remote and access associated with the area. The trip will include a drive of to all sites is weather dependent so the program may be approx. 1.25 hours into the Hollyford with approx. 4 to 5 hours subject to change. on the track. This is the most remote walk to choose from and offers something very special walking under the peaks of the The activities will also require a level of fitness above that Dividing Ranges. Overall 8 hours return trip ex Te Anau. required for normal show caves visitation as all caves in the program, (apart from the Glowworm Caves and Clifden Caves) Kepler Track – This option is aimed at those wanting a more are, by ACKMA conference standards, remote. Access will leisurely walking experience with a link to conservation require walking off track, often uphill, and some stream or partnerships and a detailed look at predator control. A flat river crossing may be required so participants will need to walk option close to Te Anau incorporating beautiful bush, bring suitable clothing and equipment. river and wetlands landscape. You will walk to the shores of Lake Manapouri and Motu Rau Hut. During the walk you will Within the program there are options for varied fitness levels hear about the Kepler Bird Song project (extensive network of (some trips while being off track are relatively flat) other will pest management) and also learn about ‘Kids Restore the require good levels of fitness with extended periods of uphill Kepler” an Air New Zealand funded partnership with DOC walking. We therefore ask that trip descriptions are carefully providing local education programs with a conservation theme. considered and that you chose activities within your capability. This trip will be approximately 6 hours’ duration return ex Te As part of the overall risk management for the event we reserve Anau and includes an easy walk of approximately 2 hours each the right to limit/amend options if there is any doubt to a way with some sightseeing on-route to the track. participant’s suitability to safely undertake the excursion. Key Summit Alpine Walk – This is a great opportunity for Some trips will also be limited by permit restrictions, so those that are physically fit and want to capture some world pending demand we may switch options/dates around to class scenery through their lenses. A taste of the iconic provide maximum access within the rules. We are working with Routeburn Track. This walk climbs steeply from the Milford the Department of Conservation (DOC) to maximize the Road at the “The Divide” to an alpine area high above the opportunity within the date ranges of the event. roadway. In clear weather this location provides 360 degree While Te Anau has a wide variety of accommodation available views of all the high peaks of Fiordland. Suitable for those who we are hoping to negotiate special rates with one of the major are not allergic to hills. A good walking track but it is a steep accommodation providers which has everything from tent sites, climb and descent so a good level of fitness is required. shared dorms, individual rooms to the newest motel suites in Approximately 3 hours of steep track walking required. Te Anau. We will provide further details in the next journal, the Evening arrangements informal - meal at own expense main point being that accommodation shouldn’t be a problem in May. There will be a combination of included and own cost meals Friday 5 May 2017 during the program. Te Anau has numerous restaurants, CAVING catering for everyone. A full day program South of Te Anau into the Waiau Valley to visit Clifden and St Peters Caves. Proposed two groups that will Wednesday 3 May 2017 switch morning and afternoon programs. Pending overall numbers. 1800hrs - Welcome to Te Anau (informal BBQ dinner) arrivals are welcome throughout the day and pending numbers we may offer a coach connection ex Queenstown. Clifden Caves – A roadside cave which has been subject to unrestricted visitation for over 100 years and is today managed by DOC under a Conservation Stewardship Area. Easy Caving Thursday 4th May 2017 (some water?) On site inspection of historic and recent graffiti A WALK IN THE PARK with the visit an opportunity to discuss on site current best practice re restoration/clean up options.

Following a group introduction to Fiordland (Te Waihi Pounamu) South West New Zealand World Heritage Area St Peters Caves - A small river cave system with excellent transport will depart for the following interpretative walk Glowworm viewing and remarkably interesting formations in options. These walk are all on formed tracks and offer a range its upper sections. This trip is a relatively flat walk of 3km on of different experiences. A local guide will accompany each farm land and through bush from the carpark on unformed

Page 17 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 tracks. It also requires a crossing of the mighty Waiau River If weather conditions or demand exceeds what we can achieve (Jet Boat). in one day then we may run an Aurora trip also on the The trip and caves are not technically difficult but do require a Saturday afternoon (day prior). good level of fitness and being prepared to get footwear wet. Evening arrangements informal - meal at own expense (some This cave was only discovered in 1989 and is off the beaten will no doubt want to soak in a bath….. track and due to access in quite good condition.

Evening arrangements informal - meal at own expense Monday 8 May 2017 Mt Luxmore Alpine Karst Area Saturday 6 May 2017

Depart by boat for the Te Anau Glowworm Caves. Introduction Walking both ways – Requires extremely good level of fitness to the operation, a cave tour will be completed. hiking up Mt Luxmore from Lake level on the excellent formed ACKMA AGM and lunch on site at Cavern House. track (Kepler Track). This is a climb of approx. 600m. Will be Return to Te Anau and visit Bird Park and Fiordland National an early start and the walk normally takes 3 to 3.5hrs. From Park Visitor Centre. carpark to Luxmore hut is 14kms, with 8kms of that being a steady uphill climb. Once on top there is a number of caving Session on Aurora Caves and overview of other significant options. Excellent views from the tops looking down over Lake remote karst sites. Te Anau and Manapouri. Evening - Group Dinner Lunch at Luxmore Hut (a DOC Great Walks Hut with 60 beds) toilets etc available. Sunday 7 May 2017 Luxmore Cave – Easy - has marked route from hut so has had heavy visitation over the years. AGM Field Trip – Aurora Caves Luckless Cave – Moderate, not as well known so much less visitation and damage. This is a full expedition trip into the extensive caves system Both these caves are 15 minutes’ walk from the hut on a above the Glowworm Caves. There is in excess of 6km of formed track. They are both relatively small rift caves with passage ranging from dry to full river passages. The Cave is not good to excellent formations. technically difficult however access to the caves is only gained after a steep climb through the bush. The cave’s entrance is a The return walk downhill walk can be quite tiring with a steady key highlight of any trip into Aurora and worth a visit in itself. descent. It can be broken by getting taxi back from Broad Bay This cave can only be visited by permit as the entire system (saves 6km flat walk) falls within the Murchison Specially Protected Area which is The walk each way option is approximately a 10 hour day closed to public to preserve the last natural habitat of the including caving and lunch on the tops. “Takahe” flightless bird. With the co-operation of the Department of Conservation we have arranged permits to Fly up Walk down enable simultaneous staggered visits to the site. Three options Take a 5 minute scenic helicopter from the lakefront to the will be offered to cater for different capabilities and speed Helipad at Luxmore Hut. This will be an addition cost of however all are off the beaten track. approx. $80 per person one way. Once on the top caving options as described previous. Flying will also enable off track exploration (in the alpine basin) to view other caves entrances Option 1 - a more leisurely trip with a slower paced walk up and possibly visit a more sporting and rarely visited Steadfast the hill to view karst and visit the main entrance area of the Cave. caves only (possibly to Twin Falls). Walk back down as described above.

Option 2 – Main Entrance to “Big Room” and return – a mainly dry route alongside the river initially and then away from the Fly up, Fly down water to the divide, heading to largest cavern within the caves. Caving as described above with a full day on the tops. Flying both ways total of approx. $160 return for heli flights.

Option 3 - Main Entrance to “Sewer System” and return - a slightly more challenging and physical route from the Divide Evening - final survivors’ dinner provided. and further down into the caves system with just enough water to test your sense of humour. Tuesday 9 May 2017

While none of the routes is technically difficult, they all begin with a steep uphill walk followed by a descent into the caves. Depart Te Anau or undertake post AGM visits to Milford Sound Inside the caves the route is over variable terrain with or Doubtful Sound (own cost) but good rates available. obstacles that can safely be free climbed but both cave options require agility and flexibility. Cave temperature is approximately 10 degrees. Alternative program Coach and Cruise to Milford Sound.

Page 18 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 AUSTRALASIAN CAVES AND KARST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AGM 4 – 8 May 2017 Te Anau, New Zealand REGISTRATION FORM All correspondence (registraon, quesons, payment noce) for the 2017 AGM should be sent to [email protected]

Personal Details: Name: Address:

Country: Postcode: Telephone (home): (work): (mobile): Email:

Affiliaons (describe your work and interest in ACKMA):

Are you currently an ACKMA Member ⃝ Yes ⃝ No, membership details are available at www.ackma.org Current ACKMA membership or representaon of member site is required to parcipate in this event and vote at the AGM

Accommodaon: Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park and Motels, as per following discounted opons. This should be made direct with the provider on + 64 3 249 7457 or [email protected] using Confirmaon #377284 Accommodaon booked at Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park and Motels ⃝ Yes ⃝ No

If no, where are you staying?

Please note all transport during the program will depart from the Te Anau Lakeview Kiwi Holiday Park and Motels

MEALS AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS – PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU BELOW. DIETARY REQUIREMENTS ⃝ Yes ⃝ No If Yes please confirm______MEDICAL CONDITIONS ⃝ Yes ⃝ No If Yes please confirm______

Page 19 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 AGM Fees and Selected Opons: PER PERSON TOTAL COST Registraon fee – 5 day programme, Thursday 4th – Monday 8th May. Includes: lunches, morning and aernoon tea (Thursday 4th – Monday 8th NZD $360.00 NZD $ inclusive), Dinner (Wednesday 3rd, Saturday 6th, Sunday 7th), all acvity transport (excluding Helicopter opons) Registraon fee – AGM only, strictly Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th only NZD $220.00 NZD $ Evening meals on Thursday, Friday and Monday and all Breakfasts are at own arrangement Oponal Extras and Expression of Interest: Wednesday 3rd May: Transport Queenstown to Te Anau at 2pm NZD $35.00 NZD $ ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Thursday 4th May: Expression of Interest, please select only one: Hollyford Valley Interpreve Walk ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Key Summit Alpine Walk ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Kepler Track and Birdsong Project ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Friday 5th May: Expression of Interest, please select only one: Clifden Caves and Totara Walk ⃝ Yes ⃝ No St Peters (Jericho) Caves ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Note – those who are wishing to do both, Clifden Caves may be repeated on Saturday aernoon following AGM Saturday 6th May: Te Anau Glowworm Caves, ACKMA AGM, Bird Park Sunday 7th May: Expression of Interest, please select only one: Aurora Caves Leisurely Karst Walk and Entrance Visit (easier) ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Aurora Caves Hall of Silence (moderate) ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Aurora Caves Big Room/sewer (harder) ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Alternave to Aurora Caves is a day tour to Milford Sound NZD $80.00 ⃝ Yes ⃝ No All Aurora Caving opons include an off track uphill bush walk of approx. 1 hour duraon, however the above opons will vary speed for this climb to suit various opons. None of the above opons include technical rope work. They are all walk/crawl through routes. Note – pending demand and final numbers Aurora Caves opon may also be scheduled for Saturday aernoon following the AGM Monday 8th May: Expression of Interest - Mt Luxmore Karst and Caves, please select only one: Walk Up and Walk Down (involves 700m vercal climb/descent) ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Fly Up and Walk Down (involves 700m descent) NZD $90.00 ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Fly both ways ⃝ Yes ⃝ No NZD $180.00 Walking opons are on the Kepler Track which is an excellent formed pathway (but it is steep) covering approx. 7.5km each way. Walk opons include a water taxi across Lake Te Anau to/from Brod Bay. Note – Fly opons will be subject to minimum numbers. Tuesday 9th May: Transport Te Anau to Queenstown at 8am NZD $35.00 NZD $ ⃝ Yes ⃝ No Total to Pay:NZD $

Page 20 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Payment Details: Please register early, with Final date for Payment due prior to Friday 31 March 2017 With all payment opons please use reference #3547806 and your surname, please email [email protected] with acknowledgment of payment Please fill in the below Credit Card authorisaon form. Please note we do not Credit Card ⃝ accept American Express or Diners Credit Cards Cheque ⃝ A cheque can be mailed to Real Journeys Ltd at P.O Box 1, Te Anau 9640 Your payment can be lodged directly into our Bank Account: Account Name: Real Journeys Ltd Direct Banking ⃝ Account Number: 02 0965 0017597 00 Bank of New Zealand, Te Anau

PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD Type of Card (please circle): VISA MASTERCARD Cardholder Name: Expiry Date: CCV: Card Number ______Signature The merchant name appearing on your statement will be Real Journeys Ltd

The above program is weather dependant (caves can flood) should access not be possible on the scheduled day or within the period 4th - 8th May a refund for the direct transport cost applicable for that day will be provided.

Expressions of interest Remote Fiordland Xanadu Cave This is a remote and seldom visited alpine site which is only accessible by helicopter. Caves are in marble. Flight from Te Anau is approx. 30minutes duraon (each way) to Kellard Point high above Doubul Sound. This opon offers a superb scenic helicopter flight into the heart of Fiordland. Note - no payment for this opon is required at this me. This acvity is not programmed but could be offered either pre, during or post AGM, subject to minimum numbers and weather. Cost will be approx. NZD $400 per person Interested? ⃝ Yes ⃝ No If Yes, Preferred date ⃝ Pre AGM (Wednesday 3rd May) ⃝ Post AGM (Tuesday 9th May) ⃝ Between 4th – 8th May (substung another acvity)

Caving and Tramping equipment: Please bring all your own caving and tramping (bushwalking) equipment. Caves are cold and wet. Outside temperatures may also be cold. A good rain coat is required to be carried on all excursions.

Didymo cleaning staons will also be provided between locaons, www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo

First Aid and Communicaon equipment will be carried on all trips. While all endeavours will be made to cave safely parcipants undertake all acvies at their own risk. Trip leaders reserve the right to modify routes and/or select parcipants aer accessing suitability, please be realisc with your selecons.

Page 21 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 ACKMA AGM RATES – MAY 2017

All rates are for 2 people unless stated otherwise

Marakura Motels Marakura Deluxe Studio - This modern studio is self-contained with a kitchenette, bathroom, TV with selected Sky channels, DVD player, sitting area, work desk and heat pump. Two bedding configurations either 1 Queen Bed or 1 Queen bed and 1 Single bed, perfect for 1 – 3 people. You can enjoy magnificent views over Lake Te Anau & the surrounding Mountains from the room and your private balcony or patio. $174.00 per night, extra adult $30.00 - SPECIAL RATE $149.00

Marakura Deluxe Family - This modern two-bedroom unit is self-contained with fully equipped kitchen & bathroom. The Living area includes a dining table to seat 6, TV with selected Sky channels, sitting area, work desk, heat pump & divan bed for use as required. The Master bedroom contains a King bed, private TV with selected Sky channels, DVD player, work desk & heat pump. The second bedroom contains either 3 Single beds OR 1 King bed & 1 Single bed, hanging space and heat pump. You can enjoy magnificent views over Lake Te Anau & the surrounding Mountains from the Living area & Master bedroom and your private balcony or patio. We also have one accessible Room available. $229.00 per night, extra adult $30.00 - SPECIAL RATE $192.00

Standard Studio Motel - Each is a self-contained Studio Motel unit including either 1 Queen bed OR 2 Single beds, bedding, towels, electric blankets, TV with selected Sky channels, sitting area, kitchenette, and bathroom with your choice of a wet-floor shower or a spa bath (in Queen if available). You can also enjoy the views from your private balcony. These are perfect for 1 or 2 adults. $119.00 per night - SPECIAL RATE $99.00

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Page 22 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 EFFECT of an INTENSE RAINFALL EVENT JUNE 2016 on CAVES at MOLE CREEK, TASMANIA Rolan Eberhard

Genesis 7:11: ‘…on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth…’

The heavy rainfall which affected the east coast of Australia in June 2016 was exceptional and probably unprecedented within early June 2016 caused flooding from southern Queensland to living memory. Victoria and Tasmania. The weather system responsible, an This article provides a qualitative description of the effects of East Coast Low, formed off the coast of New South Wales due the flood on caves at Mole Creek, based on an initial to moist air from the Coral Sea being drawn into an upper level assessment conducted a short time after floodwaters receded. trough. The low was pushed southwards by a north-easterly Two case studies are provided: a show cave, Marakoopa Cave, airstream originating from a near-stationary high pressure and an undeveloped cave, Croesus Cave. Both caves are system over New Zealand. Other centres of low pressure located in the Mole Creek Karst National Park and Tasmanian developed and interacted with the main low, directing a very Wilderness World Heritage Area; the managing authority is the moist north-easterly airstream over Tasmania from 5-7 June. Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. The scale of flood effect Tasmania’s northern river basins were particularly affected in these caves appears to have been conditioned in part by the following falls in excess of 200 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on role of relictual conduits, which were invaded by floodwater the 6 June. Many northern Tasmanian centres posted their causing otherwise dormant discharge points to be re-activated. wettest days on record. In a number of cases recorded rainfall This finding highlights the need to consider the potential for more than doubled previous maximums. The exceptional cryptic, stage-related thresholds in evaluating flow regimes in nature of this event is the discussed in a special publication by complex multi-level karst conduits. The article concludes with the Bureau of Meteorology (2016). a brief discussion of possible linkages with predicted effects of Parts of Launceston city were inundated by floodwater, as were climate change. large tracts of chiefly agricultural land around La Trobe and other rural centres. Show cave operations at Marakoopa Cave, Marakoopa Cave Mole Creek, and Gunns Plains Cave, were severely disrupted. Marakoopa Cave is an extensive network of active and fossil In the Mole Creek area, private gauges registered 270 mm at associated with two underground streams: Long Creek Mersey Hill and 430 mm at Liena, while Hydro Tasmania and Short Creek (Figure 1). Under normal flow conditions the recorded >400 mm not far away at Lake McKenzie on the two streams occupy discrete eastern and western branches of Central Plateau. These totals represent an essentially the cave and only come together after discharging into a continuous downpour during the 36 hours from late on 4 June surface channel outside the cave. The stream headwaters are to early on 6 June. Bureau of Meteorology data for Mole Creek located high on Western Bluff (1420 m). township indicate 24 hour totals above 100 mm on four previous occasions over the last 100 years, the maximum on The effects of the flood were most severe on Long Creek, record being 138.9 mm in February 1956. Other significant especially the downstream portion developed for cave tours. rainfall events are recorded over periods of 2-3 days, including The following changes were observed: large volumes of gravelly a notable fall of 213.4 mm over three days in January 2011. sediment had been displaced, undermining concrete paths and viewing platforms or burying them to a depth of 0.5 m; Unfortunately, the Bureau of Meteorology dataset for Mole sediment build-up had displaced the course of Long Creek, re- Creek appears to have been discontinued in early 2015. There aligning it onto the tourist path for a distance of 15 m; relictual is little doubt however that rainfall at this location in early sediment banks up to 4 m high had been destabilised and in some cases collapsed onto pathways; boulders up to a metre in diameter had moved, impeding access through the cave; sheets deposited on gravelly fills had been undercut and some had fractured; lights and wiring had been torn away. Lesser effects were observed in the The Railway – a fossil conduit used to provide access for tours to a viewing point on Short Creek. Water had evidently ponded up within this passage, bringing with it a flux of mucky silt. The net result of these various effects was not a pretty sight for a cave manager first thing on a Monday! The scale of flood damage at Marakoopa Cave was potentially compounded by several factors. First, the discharge of Long Creek may have been augmented by water from Short Creek, via a connecting conduit such as The Railway Tunnel. In fact, although ingress of silt indicated that this passage was partially inundated during the flood, the water did not rise high enough to initiate transfer of water between the two creeks via this pathway. However, cross-flow may have occurred via presently un-mapped lower level fossil channels. Assuming such channels exist, flow would most likely be in the direction Liena Bridge on the Mersey River – destroyed during the flood of Short Creek to Long Creek, due to water backing up on Short Creek above a constriction known as The Fireplace.

Page 23 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Figure 1: Partial plan of Marakoopa Cave based on a 1918 plan prepared by the surveyor Wilkes. The Railway Tunnel is a fossil connection between the two active watercourses (blue). It is inferred that part of the flood peak in Short Creek was diverted to Long Creek.

A second factor is the possibility that landslips on Western Bluff increased the peakiness of tributary streams and released into them quantities of sediment which were washed into the cave. A point of comparison here is a debris avalanche (landslip) on nearby Westmorland Creek. This rapid mass movement of slope materials was initiated following torrential rain in January 2011. It resulted in the blockage of Westmorland Cave by transported debris, which ran out into adjacent farmland, damaging agricultural assets. Despite evidence of new landslips high on Western Bluff above Marakoopa Cave, an inspection of surface tributaries returned no evidence of significant slugs of sediment moving into the cave. It is therefore concluded that landslip activity was not a major contributory factor in the scale of sedimentation on Long Creek, implying that the gravelly sediment mobilised during the flood was sourced from material already stored inside the cave. This is fortunate as it implies a more limited supply of sediment available for reworking by future floods. The third potential contributory factor is the historical engineering of the natural course of Long Creek inside the cave, to facilitate tourist access and enhance presentation of Cave guide Dave Lee at the Tuning Fork (The cave features. The modified channel failed to contain the flood Railway Tunnel, Marakoopa Cave), indicating the level of the and in places impeded or re-directed its flow in ways that June 2016 flood versus a lesser flood in January 2011. adversely affected natural and built structures. The fact that the show cave infrastructure has been developed incrementally over many years, much of it prior to modern engineering

Page 24 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 stream to back up, flooding Byards Chamber and contributing to the failure of a rock and mortar wall at the cave entrance. Second, a low reach of passage further upstream of the junction with The Railway Tunnel created a bottleneck which trapped gravels moving downstream during the flood. Whilst this section of passage had been artificially enlarged many years ago to increase headroom for tourists, it was also made more constricted at stream level when a path and safety barrier was installed. The resultant build-up of material was responsible for the aforementioned displacement of the watercourse onto the tourist path.

Croesus Cave Croesus Cave is a spacious pipe-like conduit extending between two upstream entrances (April Fools, Top Hole) and the cave outflow near the Mersey River. The site is managed as a restricted access wild cave i.e. access controlled by permit and limited to experienced avers. All entrances are gated. The cave stream is noteworthy for its steady but typically modest discharge – it rarely flows strongly or floods. Unlike the Bouldery debris deposited by floodwater on tourist path majority of other stream caves at Mole Creek, Croesus Cave is in Marakoopa Cave. feed by diffuse sources and has no regular streamsink feeder. It is highly regarded for the scale and quality of its formations, standards, did not help. Built structures at two points on Long especially large rimstone dams which occur virtually Creek were particularly important in conditioning the continuously through the main passage. behaviour of the stream during and to an extent after the flood. During the post-flood inspection it was immediately obvious First, a culvert at the was grossly inadequate for the that the cave had experienced very forceful flows. Shrubs and flood discharge and calibre of entrained gravels, causing the woody debris had been stripped away from around the outflow

Figure 2: Surface and underground landforms and watercourses in the Croesus Cave area. Note altered flow path of Kansas Creek in flood, redirecting a portion of the flood peak from Lynds Cave to Croesus Cave.

Page 25 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Croesus Cave provide strong evidence for overtopping on this occasion. A similar event may have occurred in August 1970 when an earlier gate to the cave was damaged, as discussed by Kiernan et al. (1994). In effect, Lynds Cave was deprived of a portion of the flood peak on Kansas Creek, which was re- directed it to Croesus Cave. Lynds Cave was included in the post-flood inspection – the cave experienced some significant effects but less obviously so than Croesus Cave.

Concluding remarks The ‘fountains of the great deep’ envisaged by Genesis is an apt metaphor for torrential flows of groundwater surging through the caves at Mole Creek. An Old Testament reference seems doubly appropriate, given biblical plagues and the fact that the June 2016 flood followed on the tails of an El Nino drought accompanied by destructive wildfires. These fires attracted international attention when they burned large tracts of land including sensitive alpine areas in the Tasmanian Wilderness Ranger Dan Bowden inspecting the cave gate at Croesus Cave. World Heritage Area (TWWHA). Whereas the biblical events are Note boulders lifted by floodwater and pinned between the gate accounted for within that text by the hubris of man, we must and cave entrance. look to climate science for explanations. Modelling results predict reductions in winter rainfall over entrance and along the surface watercourse below it. The south-eastern Australia over coming decades, continuing a outward force of water on the cave gate – a seemingly robust trend already apparent in the data. One of the factors structure of 20 x 20mm steel bar welded into a rectangular responsible for this is a predicted reduction in East Coast Lows mesh anchored to a concrete base and ring bolts drilled into – these weather systems are considered likely to diminish in the rock – had been sufficient to bend the steel bars and frequency around Tasmania but their intensity in this region deform the overall structure. Rocks weighing tens of kilograms may increase (CSIRO & BoM 2015). The June 2016 flood were found suspended at various points around the margins of appears consistent with this prediction of increased intensity. the gate on the inside, having been lifted by the force of water and wedged in gaps between the steel frame of the gate and the The consequences for karst and other classes of geodiversity in adjacent rock. Entry to the cave had to be delayed until the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, including Mole assistance had arrived in the form of a team with cutting tools. Creek Karst National Park, of increased frequency in extreme weather events, and other climate change effects, has been The cave generally had experienced water levels 3-4 m above reviewed by Sharples (2011). Sharples identifies the following normal. A considerable volume of sandy to granular sediment as probable outcomes for karst systems as climate change had been reworked by the flood and deposited on the base and intensifies: sides of the main passage. At one point a deep hole had formed, making it necessary to swim across what had Increased flash-flooding of caves with increased sediment previously been waded. Quantities of broken cave straws were deposition or reworking: More frequent flooding of caves in seen amongst fresh sediment on the cave floor. Some of these high rainfall events is likely. If fluvial catchment erosion may have been broken by caving parties over the years but the increases (due to increased catchment firing as well as more majority are interpreted as flood damage; however, many frequent intense rainfall events) then more sediment may be straws survived the flood and it is yet to be determined which transported into caves and deposited, but if not then existing sections of passage suffered loss of straws. A form of unusual cave sediments may be scoured by flood waters and reworked rounded subaqueous concretion formerly common throughout or lost. Increased potential for landslips in karst catchments the lower part of the cave was noted as much depleted, may have significant impacts on caves, resulting in diverted probably because many were buried under sediment or flushed watercourses, increased sediment carried into caves by flood away. Pieces of metal rubbish (e.g. tins, wire) had been waters, and in some cases slumping of colluvial materials unearthed by the flood, including a 3 m long section of directly into caves. All of these impacts have already been concrete, rock and steel, part of an earlier gate structure. This observed in Tasmanian karst systems, and are likely to become unwieldy object had been exhumed and shifted several metres more frequent and intense events as a result of climate change. downstream, obstructing access at the outflow entrance. The above is a prescient summary of the observed effects at Despite these changes, larger including the iconic Mole Creek of the June 2016 rainfall event and flood. rimstone dams escaped obvious damage. Also on a positive Sharples characterizes his principal recommendation on note, virtually all sediment banks had been ‘refreshed’ by the climate change effects on geodiversity values as ‘triage’. That flood, erasing the cumulative effect of many year of trampling is, of the very large range of possible effects and potential disturbance. management responses, resources should be prioritised based Karstic effects were critically influenced the scale of flooding at on the following considerations (re-worded slightly from Croesus Cave. This is because the flood re-activated a relictual Sharples 2011): surface drainage channel and associated former inflow points 1. Feasibility and benefits of limited interventions to on Kansas Creek, below the point on the channel where the mitigate climate change impacts (on geodiversity and/or on flow would normally be captured and diverted elsewhere. This other dependant values such as habitat); watercourse normally sinks underground at Rubbish Heap Cave and then flows underground to Lynds Cave, ‘sister’ cave 2. Value and feasibility of recording, sampling and to Croesus Cave on the Mersey River (Figure 2). During the archiving features and embodied information likely to be flood, Kansas Creek overtopped its normal sinking point and irreversibly lost (to preserve scientific information for flowed overland to a complex of depressions above the future reference that would otherwise be largely lost); upstream end of Croesus Cave, massively boosting the 3. Usefulness of monitoring and/or undertaking research discharge within that cave. Fluvial scouring and flood debris on on the nature and rates of changes to geodiversity the surface in line between Rubbish Heap Cave and upper occurring in response to climate change (to enable better Page 26 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 understanding of change processes and better sampling and archiving activities will probably focus on management of responses to changes in geodiversity or relictual sediments depleted by erosion during the flood – dependent values, within the TWWHA or elsewhere); and: investigation of these will capitalise on freshly exposed sections 4. Doing nothing (where no response is practically and respond to the risk of loss if important examples ultimately achievable, or feasible responses are of little benefit or disappear through natural events. These activities overlap with would conflict with TWWHA management objectives). possible research and monitoring directions. ‘Do nothing’ is probably a reasonable default response, for example where wild The management response the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife caves are affected by fluxes of sediment and/or woody debris – Service to the June 2016 event at Mole Creek will likely involve the basic structure of these caves is resilient to flood effects elements of each of the above options. Interventions to mitigate and not much is to be gained by interfering. impacts will be directed at increasing the resilience of tourism and management infrastructure to future floods. Recording,

References Kiernan, K., Eberhard R. and Shannon C. H. C. (1994). "Further hydrological investigations of the Mill Creek-Kansas Creek area, northern Tasmania." Tasforests 6: 7-22. Meteorology, C. a. B. o. (2015). Climate change in Australia: Information for Australia's Natural Resource Management Regions: Technical Report. CSIRO and Bureau of Meteoroplogy, Australia: 216. Sharples, C. (2011). Potential Climate Change Impacts on the Geodiversity of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area: A Management Response Position Paper. Report to the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania (http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/publications-forms-and-permits/publications/potential-climate-change-impacts-in-the-

What a contrast! Images of the landscape at Lake McKenzie above Mole Creek burnt in summer 2016 and photographed in April 2016, when regeneration was just starting. The floods occurred 2 months after these photos were take with Lake McKenzie recording >400mm of rain in 24 hours. Photos: Steve Bourne

Page 27 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 NARACOORTE CAVES NATIONAL PARK: VISITOR FACILITY UPGRADES Deborah Carden

This article is dedicated to Ken Grimes, Scientist (geology and geomorphology), ACKMA Member, karst expert, caver and friend. Ken had a long association with Naracoorte Caves National Park and World Heritage Area and we are all deeply saddened by his tragic loss this month. From the time I took up the position as Manager Naracoorte and Tantanoola Caves in 2009 Ken unstintingly provided me his expert advice and opinion. He freely and generously helped me with the Field Guide for the 2015 ACKMA Conference that we hosted in Naracoorte. From 2014 until early August 2016 he provided comment on the Master Plan visitor asset upgrade proposals. We also formally contracted him to provide karst geology training to Site Interpreters and in the past nine months, in conjunction with geotechnical engineer Tony Meyers and with long-time friends and karst associates Kevin Mott and Ian Lewis, he was very involved in a process whereby karst values were considered in the design phases for visitor asset upgrades and therefore ensuring that those values, along with other natural, historical and cultural values are protected and conserved during construction.

BACKGROUND One access road and two pathways wide enough to be utilised In 2012 the Department of Environment, Water and Natural by vehicles will be removed because they run across the top of Resources (DEWNR) commissioned Shannon Architects to Bat Cave maternity chambers where in some places the produce a Master Plan to direct the upgrading of 15-20 year caprock thickness for vehicle traffic is less than approved karst old infrastructure in the Naracoorte Caves National Park and geotechnical specifications. World Heritage Area, including interpretation. In conjunction with this, DEWNR established a Master Plan Community Group comprising local, regional, State and Federal representatives, inviting their input into the upgrade planning. In 2013 the Federal Government granted funding to establish a World Heritage governance group and for an Executive Officer position to provide secretariat services to the group and assist the Australian Fossil Mammal Site (AFMS) Property Manager with World Heritage administrative matters. DEWNR invited the organisations with representatives on the Master Plan Community Group to transfer that representation to the World Heritage governance group, the Inter-agency Community Reference Group (IRG). On 17 December 2014 the IRG and DEWNR Executive endorsed the costed Naracoorte Caves National Park and World Heritage Master Plan. Early in 2015 special tourism funding was granted by the South Australian Tourism Commission and DEWNR to begin the first upgrade, the ‘Roof-top’ Loop Walk. Funds were also made available to commission a Style Guide to ensure cohesion to directional and informative wayfinding and interpretation Two-tone path surfaces. The re-routed pathway between the around the Park, in the Wonambi Fossil Centre upgrade and in second and third chambers of Blanche Cave. The path here is caves. utilising in-cave pillars for strength.

The ‘Roof-top’ Loop Walk Upgrading this walk will open up part of the National Park to a wider range of visitors so they can enjoy perspectives of the Disability Access Park many are not otherwise able to experience. In doing this The walk plan was assessed by a disability auditor regarding DEWNR continues to meet an important obligation - that World access requirements for less-abled users. The gradient for Heritage sites should “have a place in the life of the community”. wheel-chair users is 1:20 or less and pathways require rest A key audience of this upgrade comprises visitors who cannot nodes at set distances. Observation platforms at cave openings go into a cave for various reasons (less-abled or vision impaired will be accessible to all visitors and allow everyone an visitors, people who are claustrophobic, those who cannot opportunity to look down ‘from the roof’ into at cave entrances afford a cave tour); families with young children in pushers and openings (hence the name, the ‘Roof-top’ Loop Walk). and older children who need to expend a bit of energy. Visitors Telling the Stories who just enjoy walking in a National Park will benefit. Sections of the walk follow the original pathway and are still Currently wheel-chair users can only access the Wonambi crossing over some sections of Bat, Blanche and Alexandra Fossil Centre, the Bat Observation Centre and the Caves Café. Caves. Where the walk crosses a cave the colour of surface material comprises grey-coloured scalps (gravel) which is to let The 850 metre walk will link the Wonambi Fossil Centre, the visitors know they are walking over the roof of a cave. Where it Bat Observation Centre and Blanche Cave as the original walk is not over a cave the surface material is light-coloured did. The difference is that it will be a loop without short-cuts. limestone scalps.

Page 28 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Map: ‘Roof-top’ Loop Walk The map shows the route of the walk and the placement of interpretation panels at wheel-chair rest nodes. Visitors to the Loop Walk will gain a good perspective of the site’s natural and cultural heritage from the stories on the panels so that if all they do on their visit they will leave with awareness and appreciation of South Australia’s only World Heritage Area.

On the interpretation panels hand-drawn illustrations and early guides and site managers, teaching us what to look for (black and white) photographs will be used rather than coloured regarding change in cave structure. He recommended specific photographs, the intention being that the illustrative style work to be done on entry structures, which has been completed, reflects scientific drawings and diagrams, internationally and for glass slides to be installed in caves as part of the caves’ recognisable and timeless. This style emphasises and promotes monitoring (ground-control) program. the Naracoorte Caves Australian Fossil Mammal Site’s brand The geotechnical learning is very interesting and the cave guides driver (sic) of science and research being a fundamental factor are developing and implementing the ground control in sustaining a ‘living and engaging’ National Park and World (monitoring) plan. As the site’s Work, Health and Safety Heritage Site. representative cave guide Frank Bromley is tasked as being the lead. Due Diligence Throughout the due diligence process Ken Grimes, Kevin Mott Prior to the letting of a construction contract to Bull Bros Pty and Ian Lewis added their knowledge of the site and karst Ltd (a local Naracoorte firm), a nine month consultative process expertise which is taken into account in infrastructure design was undertaken around karst conservation and endangered and location of walks, observation platforms and possible species and fossil protection. This included researching Cave relocation of some cave fences. Ken was formally contracted to Exploration Group South Australia (CEGSA) and SA Mines Dept assist the geotech analysis. Kevin retired from DEWNR in 2015 cave maps, contracting ground-penetrating radar analysis, but continues to provide an experienced, respected cave and contracting surface and in-cave surveying and geotechnical karst management voice to the Department. He was invited engineering analysis and involving reputable karst scientists onto the IRG in 2015 after he retired and his long-term and geologists. involvement with Naracoorte Caves has been very well utilised during the year. He has an amazing archive of maps and plans Geotechnical engineer Tony Meyers, Rocktest Ltd, Adelaide had into which he has delved. Ian is still employed by DEWNR and been contracted in October 2015 to undertake a structural is a key adviser on karst matters. assessment of the show-caves and adventure caving caves where DEWNR conducts its tourism business. Tony provided a Discussions regarding the walk upgrade were held on site with structural report, a ground-control management plan and an bat specialists Terry Reardon and Lindy Lumsden. They support emergency response plan. He has provided training for the cave the decision to remove the access road from across the top of

Page 29 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 the maternity chambers and to re-route the two pathways that are occasionally used as vehicle access - mitigating of vehicle vibration over pupping mums/new babies. The proposed design of the observation platforms was assessed. Research around echo-location was considered and the advice was that the proposed safety glass should be replaced with balusters in the platform design. The research considers bats can ‘locate’ glass but in certain circumstances reflections may cause a bat to think it’s looking at potential food or just cause disorientation and collision. Path lighting and lighting around Bat Cave was discussed and styles and locations agreed. DEWNR has to comply with rules around providing visitors’ access to the Observation Centre and Bat Cave at night - pathways must be lit. The results of the discussions with Terry and Lindy are that in the vicinity of the Bat and Blanche Caves the existing tall lampposts will be removed. Red lighting will be used from the back of the Bat Observation Centre towards the Bat Cave and inside the Bat Cave when the bats are in residence. The pathways facing away from the Bat Cave between the Bat Observation Centre to the Wonambi Fossil Centre (WFC, the Park’s Visitor Centre) will have white coloured lighting, complying with the visitor access code. Current pathway construction is timetabled around the Southern Bentwinged Bats’ breeding seasons (as to whether they are off or on site and if on site, where - because they over- winter on site most years). The installation of observation Hand-work on the epikarst adjacent Blanche Cave. platforms, interpretative panels and lighting will also take account of bats’ seasonal whereabouts. The Director of the Federal Government’s World Heritage pleased with how useful this item is proving. These machines Division, Veronica Blazeley, accepted an invitation to visit have great stability and maneuverability minimising vibration Naracoorte Caves in February 2016. Veronica was impressed effects. with the consultative and thorough approach the site takes Bull Bros. is fully engaged in good practices regarding working regarding its World Heritage administration and other heritage in the karst. The firm is not permitted to cut into the limestone asset protection. We discussed whether or not an EPBC referral even when it’s not going over a cave. The firm has been diligent would be required with regard the ‘Roof-top’ Loop Walk upgrade in this and have shifted the path alignment at times to meet this but Veronica was satisfied that the mitigation measures were condition. sufficient not to require referral.

Employees got very excited when they uncovered some epikarst Weights, Heights and Actions near Blanche Cave and happily exposed a section beside the In designing the construction contract and thinking about track so we can interpret it. Photos were sent to Ken, Kevin and future maintenance we took into account a range of aspects – Ian to gain expert description - the latter two came back with the location of caves and their individual configurations; span, some very silly ideas, Ian concluding with asking Kevin if he was shape, height and width, slope and gradient and features such “karsting aspersions”. Fortunately Ken was able to provide as the position of pillars. The thickness of limestone over a void sense to the discussion. is important. A paper by Dr Susan White OAM on the Naracoorte Caves limestone was considered. The shape, width, location and surfacing of pathways is a prime long-term maintenance consideration. An alternate vehicle access route to Bat Cave was agreed. The relevant characteristics of a void (treating each cave on its merits) and consideration of the frequency and type of traffic over a void need to be taken into account and matched with the geotechnical recommendations regarding thicknesses of limestone which are: • Pedestrians - one metre minimum thickness • Light vehicles such as a park utility - three metres minimum thickness • Heavy trucks such as a fire truck - five metres minimum thickness When establishing the construction contract, particular regard was given to the weight and action of machinery and vehicles. Three sections of the Loop Walk involve working over caves. In these areas the work is done ‘by hand’. ‘By hand’ includes Exposed section of epikarst and pathway upgrade adjacent to hand-work with shovels supported by specified light-weight Blanche Cave’s third roof window. machines. Bull Bros. bought a motorised wheelbarrow that has tracks instead of wheels especially for this job and is very

Page 30 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Ian Lewis at the now treeless Peppertree Hole doline. The non-native trees were affected by a prescribed burn in 2014 and removed in preparation for the new pathway.

By the time discussion was needed about the ‘Peppertree Hole’ Resurvey of Bat and Blanche Caves doline Kevin and Ian had regained their senses and the three of Since VFC had ‘moved a bit’ Kevin and I thought it pertinent to them agreed it has the characteristics of a solution doline. Ken resurvey Bat and Blanche Caves. These proved to be pretty had further thoughts about collapse doline but decided it was accurate, with only minor adjustments to current maps. too hard to tell. We pin-pointed the locations of the series of adjoining pillars in the second chamber of Blanche Cave so that the new walk goes RESURVEYS over the pillars which means we more than meet the Resurvey of Mulberry Tree Chamber, Victoria Fossil Cave geotechnical recommendations re limestone thickness - the (VFC) walk now has floor-to-ceiling structure underneath it. Kevin was keen for the surveyor to record the ‘Mines datum point’ If all goes to plan the VFC Precinct will be upgraded in 2017-18. located between the second and third roof holes. Copies of the In the process of designing a concept we had considerable updated Bat and Blanche Caves maps now reside in Kevin’s discussion about caprock thickness. When Kevin Mott, the archives. original Mulberry Chamber surveyor, said he thought it wasn’t located quite where it was shown on the map we had it resurveyed. And he was right ….the chamber had ‘moved’ by On the ‘Roof-top’ about two metres. Stage One of the Loop Walk is complete and open. Stage Two This is to the advantage of cave conservation regarding the will commence in December 2016. State and Federal funding revamp of the car parking area. With the location confirmed totally $1.4M will be used to extend the Walk to include the Kevin recalculated the slope and depth of the chamber under surface above Wet and Cathedral Caves, observation platforms the car-parking area, updating cross-section views. The at cave entrances and interpretation on the paths and Wonambi limestone thickness ranges between 5 and 20 metres. Fossil Centre. New path lighting will be added between the Wonambi Fossil Centre and Bat Observation Centre.

Page 31 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 BACK to JENOLAN CAVES, NEW SOUTH WALES Kent Henderson

Over the first weekend in November 2016, finally, I got back to Jenolan Caves! It is a few years since I was last there, far too long; but in the interum I received not infrequent 'reports' from various sources as to how it was travelling - both positive and negative... For this visit I organised a large group from Melbourne who flew to Sydney early on the Saturday morning, and flew out again the next evening...zapping up to Jenolan in between to enjoy a Masonic Lodge meeting in The Cathedral in the Lucas Cave followed by a sumptuous banquet in Caves House on the Saturday night. All excellent stuff! Locally, the arrangements were handled by ACKMA stalwart Dave Rowling who, aside from being Jenolan's long term Chief Electrician, is also currently the Master of the Masonic Lodge in the nearby town of Oberon; and of course, my very old friend ACKMA Fellow Barry Richard, who is also a doyen of the Oberon Lodge.

Severe rusting on the brown stainless steel in River Cave

Brown stainless steel hand rail in the River Cave Imperial Tour was led by long-standing guide and ACKMA Member Scott Melton, so I would have expected nothing less in his case. On the Sunday morning I went with some of our party through Chifley Cave, led by young (full time) guide, Belinda Lotherington - and she was excellent as well; full of It was great to catch up with many 'old stagers' in the Guides enthusiasm and with great cave knowledge. So, my 'fears' Office, such as Ted Matthews, Scott Melton and Anne Musser, about 'falling standards' in guiding at Jenolan were most and meet new ones as well! Of course, the weekend included happily proved incorrect. cave tours. My group did the obligatory Saturday 2.30 pm Lucas Cave tour, led by young guide Stephen Kennedy. However, not all at Jenolan is a bed of roses. Dave Rowling took me to look at the still-ongoing work in Jubilee Cave, which I have to say that reports had reached by ears that the quality has been closed to the public for nearly two years already, for of cave guiding at Jenolan had sunk badly in more recent refurbishment. Virtually every handrail in the Jenolan show years, so my expectations were not high. Well, I was pleasantly caves has been replaced with stainless steel of various gauges, surprised. Stephen was excellent - his cave and karst and I have long held the general view that that is the way to go. knowledge, interpretation and manner were all top draw. And Pretty much the 'last cab off the rank', Jubilee has now been he received more than a few 'curly' questions too, which he largely redone in stainless, except for a section at the end of its answered to my complete satisfaction. I am happy to report left passage. Apparently, the existing grant money has run out, that stalactites do not (necessarily!) grow one centimetre every so when the cave will be finished is very unclear. Additionally, hundred years! But, of course, I figured that he may be an it remains to be re-lit. exception to the rule, given that his mother is former Jenolan Guide (and a former member of the ACKMA Committee), Sasa There is, however, already an issue in Jubilee, as well as in Kennedy, who I regarded as one of the best cave interpreters Imperial Cave (through which one passes to get to it). I refer to ever to have graced an Australian cave. So one would imagine the use of ubiquitous chicken wire. While I agree that chicken that Stephen would have received a few pointers... wire is needed is some sections of some caves to protect otherwise vulnerable speleothems; historically it was very However, the positive reports continued to flow. Parts of my much overdone. I recall the little Jersey Cave at Jenolan (which group toured Imperial and the Temple of Baal, and their hasn't been a show cave for about 100 years!) whose passages feedback on the quality of the guiding was great. Well, the

Page 32 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 The Pincushion - an incredible feature in Jubilee Cave are 100% chook wire! Fortunately, the urge to encase everything has gone. The new stainless steel chicken wire, of a larger gauge used in the Imperial and Jubilee is quite effective and infinitely better than its iron-leaching predecessors. However, the placement of it, in more than a few cases, leaves much to be desired. It would seem very obvious to me that the contractors did not have detailed placement instructions. In Jubilee there are several sections where the chicken wire is demonstrably on the wrong side of the track; blithely protecting a largely blank wall, while the other side, filled with relatively close and vulnerable speleothems, is unprotected. I would highly recommend an audit of chicken wire placement, with a careful placement plan to ensue as a result. The Pool of Cerberus Cave also has an uncertain future. A few years back its lighting was deemed to be so archaic that the lot Part of my group from Melbourne was pulled out. Again, when and if the money will emerge to do (plus the 'odd' one from Sydney!) its relighting is anyone's guess. Thus, it would appear that Jubilee and Cerberus, in my view two of the most iconic caves Cave, possibly the wettest at Jenolan, has it from head to tail. at Jenolan, are off-line well into the future. Apparently there is no manufacturer's warranty either. Oh dear During my 'look around' I was also taken into River Cave, (again). So, the only options are to allow an ever increasing where there is a very major issue. With the exception of this leaching of rust (not an option!) or replace the brown stainless cave, all of Jenolan's show caves have been given 'normal' with the proper stuff. Not cheap...the River Cave tour is 400 stainless steel, which has performed perfectly in the wet cave metres! environment, as expected. In River Cave, however, brown Overall, it was wonderful to get back to Jenolan; and great to stainless steel has been used - which I had not seen before (nor catch up with many old friends, and to find the guiding to be do I wish to see again...). good shape - even if there are some serious ongoing River was one of the last of the show caves to be updated with infrastructure issues which must be dealt with. Let us hope stainless. The reason for its purchase and use, apparently, is the money, and will, to solve them arrives sooner rather than because normal stainless steel handrails are very light later. reflective and are not overly conducive to tourist's photography! Yes, well... Don't shine lights on the handrails... Anyway, the brown stainless steel is not reflective - so problem solved! Yay!! Or so you would think? The trouble is, as has now been discovered (unlike normal stainless), the brown stainless steel rusts! Oh dear! And River

Page 33 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 A VISIT to the CRADLE of HUMANKIND, SOUTH AFRICA Steve Bourne

When I was lucky enough to get an invite to participate in a research trip to Madagascar (see ACKMA Journal 102 for a report on this trip), I considered what else I might visit while on this side of the planet. I briefly thought about a hire car and travelling alone in Madagascar, but was warned off that – glad too! Given that I was to fly in and out of Johannesburg to get to Madagascar, it made sense to visit South Africa. I contacted Hein Gerstner, manager at Cango Caves at the time, and he and wife Andia developed a fantastic itinerary for me. My friend Julian Hume from the United Kingdom decided to join me as well. Julian and I flew from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, to Johannesburg on a late Sunday afternoon, arriving about 5.30pm. For once in my life, I had planned ahead, and booked a car with a GPS. This turned out to be an excellent move. Julian and I could not get any reception on the GPS in the airport car park, so drove out onto a four lane 120km/h highway heading to Pretoria, in the dark. Many nervous minutes passed until he managed to find our Excellent directional and interpretative signage at the accommodation at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel on our Maropeng Visitor Centre electronic travelling companion, locked it in, and we were guided to our accommodation without further concern, arriving about 8.00pm. Andia had booked this for us, advising it was 5 star luxury and hoping it was not too expensive for us. I had googled it prior to travelling and it looked really nice, and it was! We were greeted by 5 staff, who were anxiously awaiting our arrival to wait on us hand and foot. We were the only visitors at the 24 room hotel for the night! We ate an enormous dinner, along with complimentary wine, and a ‘few’ obligatory beers. This was a fine start to our South African adventure. The next morning I wandered out for an early morning walk and discovered our hotel was only about 400m from the Maropeng Visitor Centre, the main visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. I knew it was close to the hotel, but not that close. For breakfast, we dined on a large plate of cheese, ham and fruit, plus a plate of yoghurt and cereal and were about to stand up from the table when the waiter came to take our cooked breakfast order. Those two courses were just for starters! We each had a three egg omelette and lumbered off to the visitor centre. It needed to be lot further away to walk that breakfast off.

The Tumulus building: Maropeng Visitor Centre The foyer of Maropeng Visitor Centre

Page 34 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Lots of excellent material helps to tell the evolution story.

looking across the landscape you don’t even notice it. A grassed amphitheatre holds 10,000 people. The exhibition is designed as a journey of discovery, from the beginning of the world through the history of humankind and looking forward into the future. As you would expect for a fossil human site, evolution is front and centre in all exhibits and very well done. The experience is difficult to describe. The entrance hall is a clean space, almost stark, with a large water feature. Being the first people through the door for the day we almost had the entire building to ourselves- for a short time. We had certainly timed our visit well, albeit completely by accident. The previous day, a Sunday, was the opening of a new fossil discovery, of a Evolution on display. My friend Julian and Australopithecus. newly described hominid named Homo naledi. The fossils were on display at the very end of the building. Julian and I raced to the end and had the viewing room to ourselves, in sharp Raw statistics on “The Cradle”, as it is called locally, are contrast to the previous day when there was several hours wait impressive. They claim 387 tourism establishments, including and 60 people allowed 15 minutes at a time. The Homo naledi 175 places to stay and 113 restaurants. The area also has 70 story was big news at the time in South Africa and generated conference venues and 44 wedding and event venues, in all some interesting media. Some politicians were very vocal about employing 7,000 permanent and 2,200 casual employees. these fossils being ancient humans and forerunners to modern Approximately R189M (about $20M in Australian currency) has humans, clearly ascribing to a more biblical view of the world. I been invested in developing the site. This is a major tourism site find it really interesting, that despite the great human evolution built on impressive long running research and its World story, that the World Heritage status is very actively promoted, Heritage status. and the irrefutable collection of fossils, that some of the The Maropeng Visitor Centre is astounding. It is named the country’s leaders happily speak against what science is Tumulus building, and looks like a giant burial mound or hill, discovering and is celebrated at a global level. Once we had which is why we hadn’t seen it in the dark the night before. absorbed the Homo naledi display, we went back to the start of Tickets are purchased at the market place, which is sunken, so the interpretative displays. Interpretation starts with a boat ride, not quite what I expected inside the building. This boat ride takes visitors through the

Robert Broom’s name appeared at every fossil site I visited in South Africa. Broom is well known to the Wombeyan Caves’ staff for describing Mountain Pygmy Possums from a breccia he The Homo naledi fossils on display. excavated there, before moving to South Africa.

Page 35 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 stages of Earth’s formation (the physical not biblical version) and is a total sensory experience. Heat (volcanoes complete with very loud sound, freezing cold, tectonic movement and snow and rain. Initially I thought the ride was a gimmick, a cheap way to entertain children, but it is very good and really sets the scene for the interpretation on the formation of Earth. A further series of displays take visitors through human evolution with excellent graphic and sculptured displays. The Maropeng Centre is a good 2-3 hour experience. After Maropeng, Julian and I headed to Sterkfontein Cave, home to the oldest and most continuous palaeontological dig in the world, so they claim. I cant think of one that has been going longer so perhaps this is correct. Sterkfontein is where “Mrs Ples”, an Australopithecus africanus specimen dated to 2.3M years, was discovered, although Mrs Ples is now identified as a male. Our tour guide cleverly put to the group that this was the first human to undergo a sex change. An almost complete

This is part of the regular show cave tour, quite a small tunnel.

with the guide and group with wearing these. The tour started brilliantly. Interpretation from the guide utilised the landscape and displays on the walk to the cave. Then we got to the cave and it all changed, unfortunately. Sterkfontein is one of the world’s great palaeo/archaeological caves, and the “interpretation” became almost totally fantasy once we were inside the cave. The guide did point out the main scientific site, which is protected by heavy infrastructure, but great opportunities around the cave structure and fossil accumulations were largely overlooked. This sounds negative, but the tour was still a great experience bit I would have enjoyed about twice as long in the cave. Although Julian and I wanted more, it seems the majority of the group enjoyed the tour and had their expectations met. We decided we were perhaps a little more demanding than the average visitor. The cave is quite robust with poorly developed pathways and a Sterkfontein Visitor Centre. couple of tunnels that a far smaller than your average show cave passage (much smaller than Buchan Caves in Australia for hominid skeleton called “Little Foot”, dated to 4.17M years was comparison). The cave breaches the , which extends to a also found here. great (unknown) depth. In 1984, diver Pieter Verhusel and two others attempted to discover the depth of the lake in the cave. The Sterkfontein Caves visitor centre is somewhat dated, but Verhusel got lost, with his body found in an air chamber and clearly branded at the entrance like other parts of the World retrieved three weeks later by rescue teams. It is alleged Pieter Heritage Site. Several large groups of school children were on died just before the team arrived. During the retrieval, the site on educational tours and quickly realised Julian and I were teams surveyed 892m of passages. Due to this accident, diving not locals. We become part of the educational experience but not is not permitted and the cave depth and extent remain sure how useful it would have been for them! All visitors are unknown, surely tempting for experienced cave divers. required to where a helmet with a hair net provided to where underneath. Julian has less hair than me so we had a bit of fun The walk back from the cave tour, which was completed without the guide, was the best part of the tour for me. We could view

I know a few cave divers who would love to explore this area Entering Sterkfontein Cave. and solve the mystery of how deep it is. Page 36 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Above. The palaeo/archaeo excavations above Sterkfontein Cave.

Left. Excellent signage brands the Cradle of Humankind throughout the World Heritage Area.

the surface excavations and the extensive supporting infrastructure, and surrounding landscape, which were well complemented with signage. The displays at Sterkfontein are also excellent and we spent quite some time viewing these. We went to the Wonder Cave site, which was unfortunately closed on Mondays. Hein did tell us to avoid it, so maybe we didn’t miss too much. We completed our day touring The Cradle looking at the supporting tourism experiences. It is well set up, very welcoming for visitors and Julian and I had no issues at all, apart from some navigation challenges. We completed the day with a large cheese platter and cold beer overlooking the Witwaterberg and Magaliesberg Ranges, enjoying the wildlife and taking many more photos. Another extravagant dinner, alone as we once again the only visitors, followed by an equally extravagant breakfast again the next morning, before we checked out to head back to Johennesburg and fly to Bloemfontein to meet Hein and Andia. The bill for two people for two nights, two breakfasts, two dinners, and a substantial amount of beer and wine - R3,600 or about $200 each. The hotel is too expensive for most South Africans but is good value for travellers from Australia and the United Kingdom. If you ever have the chance to travel to this part of the world, make sure The Cradle is on your list and book into the Maropeng Boutique Hotel.

Page 37 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 ANDYSEZ 121 WHO are KAKARRATUL and ITJARITJARI? Andy Spate [email protected]

Do we have more than two vertebrate troglobites in Australia? after heavy rain but given given that my first view of the For many years it has been stated by many people, including stygobite Milyeringa veritas was in a tidal pool in full sunlight I me, that Australia has only two vertebrate troglobites. Strictly think that the two moles can be well accepted as two new speaking these two are stygobites – aquatic species fully Australian vertebrate troglobites. adapted to underground life. The two species are the Blind The marsupial mole family (Notorycitdae) has only two species. Gudgeon, Milyeringa veritas, and the Blind Cave Eel, These are the Southern Marsupial Mole (Itjaritjari, Notoryctes Ophisternon candidum. These two are only known from Cape typhlops) and the Northern Marsupial Mole (Kakarratul, Range and in the case of O. candidium in a slightly larger Notorycetes caurinus). Marsupial moles spend most of their region. time underground and very rarely come to the surface – only My wife Kirsty and I accompanied a University of Tasmania after rain. They are completely blind and have no external third year zoology field trip to Narawntapu National Park on visible ears, just small holes under their thick white coats. the north coast of Tasmania. The park has an astonishing Sound like troglobites to me! I welcome discussion. density of Australian marsupials – surprisingly many are If it can be agreed that these two animals are troglobites then around in daylight hours. Well worth a visit but may be very they would seem to be the only two mammals world-wide that busy at holiday times. It is one of the release sites for are troglobites! Other moles and burrowing mammals are not Tasmanian Devils specially bred as resistant to the facial as well adapted to life underground. tumour disease – sadly many ended up as road kill over the Kakarratul are only found only in Western Australia in the first weekend after the first release. Great and Little Sandy Deserts. Itjaritjari is found in SA, WA But – lying awake on the recent marsupian field trip, I had a St and NT centred across their boundaries. Paul-like moment of epiphany. I am sure that St Paul spent a Both species live 20-60 cm below the surface in dune crests lot of his time thinking about cave fauna … and slopes and on sand plains and swales. Their diet seems to But it seems that there are two more vertebrate troglobites in be largely insects and small reptiles. Australia - Kakarratul and Itjaritjari – marsupial moles that They are both listed as Endangered under the Federal EFBC live underground. They occasionally are seen on the surface Act 1999.

1Please note that there are ANDYSEZs with higher numbers and gaps below the higher numbers – confusion arising from miscommunications between Kent and me years ago. I will try and fill the gaps to avoid more confusion in the future. The ANDYSEZs are not time-dependant so this should not be an issue. Page 38 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 INDONESIA, SOUTH KOREA, SARAWAK Andy Spate ACKMA International Relations Officer

Surprise guests at an Indonesian wedding. Steve Bourne (third from left) and Andy Spate (third from right). as the international guests, we were first to have our photos taken with the newly weds and their parents.

L-R Hallim Park - natural stone weathering and ancient bonsai; Jeju Stone Park - prehistoric cave site, Judith Dixon alongside dolharebang (grandfather stone - likeness to Andy?, entrance to the stone park.

L-R Mulu NP - Deer Cave looking to Garden of Eden, Judith Dixon and Park Manager Hein Gerstner at Deer Cave, part of the hugely improved interpretation at Mulu, millions of bats leaving Deer Cave

Page 39 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016 Page 40 ACKMA Journal No. 105 December 2016