jenolancaves

The Nettle Cave was almost certainly one of the first caves at Jenolan to be discovered and explored by Europeans in the 1830s  as it connects directly to the mighty arch of the 'Devil's Coach-House'. The cave is often referred to as being a "twilight cave", as there are no permanently dark areas - daylight penetrates the cave from three separate entry points. The result is an environment completely different from all the main 'dark tour' areas at Jenolan Caves.

For the reason of its difference, the Nettle Cave was selected in 2006 for development as a self-guided tour, the only such tour at Jenolan. Visitors today can explore the Devil's Coach-House and Nettle cave without a Jenolan Guide, but are accompanied by a digital audio guide offering tour commentary in 14 languages (provided by Acoustiguide of Australia). The trip involves climbing several sets of stairs into the main areas of the cave, however the effort is rewarded by truly spectacular views back through the Coach-House, and the opportunity to inspect areas of crystal formation of highly unusual shapes - a result of the high volume of air movement through the cave. Of particular interest, visitors can view close up the exceedingly rare sight of Stromatolites - colonies of blue-green algae formed in layers of calcite crystal. Amongst the oldest forms of life on Earth, Stromatolites are rarely found outside of marine environments (such as the famous Shark Bay in WA). Within the Nettle Cave, several large and bizarrely shaped examples are clearly visible - their odd shape early earning them the nick-name of "craybacks" or "lobster tails".

The Nettle Cave cannot be toured as a standalone trip, as it is so different from all of Jenolan's other guided tours. However, with any purchase of a full price guided tour, visitors are automatically provided with a ticket for entry to the Nettle Cave as well. The image below is of the Nettle Cave in the 1920s.

The Chifley Cave is the largest of the caves in the Northern part of the Jenolan show-cave system. Originally known as the "Left Imperial Cave", the tour was renamed in honour of Ben Chifley, Prime Minister and the local member of Federal Parliament in the early 1950s.

A fantastic tour for children, the Chifley Cave is relatively easy and, at an hour's duration, one of the shortest guided tours. The cave itself falls into two quite distinct sections. The first half passes through areas of relatively dry formation - the result of high air flows. This area is historically significant as it was here in May 1880 that the first ever electric lighting was trialled in a cave! Some of the old electrical fittings are still on display. This area also features coloured lighting - today rare in Australian show-caves. However, as the tour continues into the cave the group will notice the cave transform around them. Crystal begins to sparkle, natural colours to emerge and the cave becomes increasingly active with distance from the main area of high air flow. The second half of the tour takes in some of the most spectacular chambers at Jenolan, including the Lucinda Chamber - described by explorer Jeremiah Wilson as the finest ever found and named for his wife! Then there is the massive Katie's Bower named for the first person to ever explore this part of the cave...a young girl in 1881 lowered down a rope by the tour party that included her father!

There is a great deal to see within the hour, another reason that this tour is popular with families as the group is largely on the move. The tour is also one way, with the cave doing a great loop that begins and ends in the Grand Arch.

Guide David Hay in 19th Century Costume examines the Chifley Lighting.

On Saturday December 10th a much loved event returns to Jenolan caves, this year celebrating its 20th year - Carols in the Caves! The highlight of Jenolan's annual event calendar, Carols is a multi award-winning phenomonen - winning Gold again at this year's Regional Tourism Awards of Excellence.

The annual Carols in the Caves is a celebration of Christmas held in the magnificent natural amphitheatre of the Grand Arch. There are two concerts held, with a 2pm matinee and an 8pm evening performance. In both cases, the Grand Arch is transformed into a Christmas wonderland, with performers on stage as well as (on occassion) appearing from high up, perched on rocks or between the stalactites and stalagmites. A variety of performers from across the region donate their time and talents to the event. This year will also feature celebrity MC Peter Vickery of TVs MasterChef fame! For the past six years the Carols have been produced and directed by Domino Houlbrook-Cove - Jenolan's Manager of Corporate, Functions and Events. Domino has the further distinction of having performed in all 19 Carols concerts to date! Classically trained as an Opera singer, Domino was once known as the 'Singing Guide' of Jenolan.

Carols in the Caves is a charitable event, with all monies raised going towards the Children's Hospital at Westmead for research into childhood cancer. Over the past four years Carols has raised in excess of $50,000 to this most worthwhile cause, and it is hoped that a record donation can be made in 2011.

Tickets for the 20th Annual Carols in the Caves are available via Ticketmaster, or by calling Jenolan direct on 1300 763311. It would be wonderful to see a record crowd in 2011 for this special day, to join together in one of the most spectacular venues in the World to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Thursday November 17th proved a great night for Jenolan Caves at the annual NSW Tourism Awards.

Jenolan had been successful in reaching the finals in six categories, in itself a record for any single attraction in NSW. Management and staff from Jenolan dressed up to attend the Gala Tourism Awards Dinner at Darling Harbour last Thursday, waiting in anticipation as the winners were announced. To the great delight of all, Jenolan began the evening by winning the Gold Award in the category of 'Heritage/Cultural Tourism'. This award was a terrific endorsement of how Jenolan staff bring the history of the site to life for our visitors, celebrating the proud heritage of tourism at the site that extends back to the 1860s. This award was soon followed by Silver for Adventure Tourism! Adventure caving has become a major part of what Jenolan offers to visitors. Everyone held their breath shortly afterwards for the announcement of the 'Best Tourist Attraction'...Gold to Jenolan Caves!!! For the second year running, Jenolan took out this category and there was much rejoicing. Celebrations only increased when Jenolan won Silver in the Ecotourism category.

These four awards represented a record on the night. Although unsuccessful in the categories of 'Festivals and Events' and 'Tourism Restaurants', Jenolan was honoured to be a finalist in both these categories also.

The awards represent a great endorsement of Jenolan Caves from the Tourism Industry, but also a recognition of the quality of Jenolan's products but above all its staff. It is always the people who make the experiences, and Jenolan's staff are truly amongst the finest in the industry.

From here, it is on to the National Tourism Awards to be held in Cairns in March 2012. Jenolan has never won a national award before, but all shall be hoping that this changes early in 2012.

Every tour at Jenolan Caves is distinctive, and there is certainly no "best cave". However, the Imperial Cave does have certain aspects that make it unique. For a start, it is the easiest tour that anyone can take at Jenolan. Caves, by their nature, are generally reasonably strenuous to explore, but not so the Imperial! After a short ramp and 30 stairs to enter the cave, the rest of the tour is largely level, with no major staircases (excepting one optional section).

Why so easy? The Imperial Cave is a classic example of an ancient river passage through the mountain. As you make your way through the cave, you can clearly see the evidence of the passage of the water in the shaping and scalloping of the limestone walls, as well as in the gravels and river sediments left behind by this ancient waterway. The walls of the Imperial Cave also contain many fine example of fossils - the Silurian marine creatures that are the basis for the limestone.

But easy does not mean that the Imperial is any less beautiful than Jenolan's other caves. When it was first discovered in 1879, caretaker Jeremiah Wilson declared the cave to be the "grandest of the lot". It has some particularly fine crystal areas including 'the showroom', 'Grand Stalactites', 'Ridley's Shortcut' and 'Lot's Wife'.

One highlight of the tour is an optional trip down a winding set of 66 stairs to visit the Jenolan Underground River, still making its way through the mountain. There is something very peaceful in the gentle movement of water through the cave, and this section of the river is famous for the clarity of the slow moving waters.

So much to see in an hour! The Imperial Cave is a beautiful and relaxing part of the Jenolan tour experience.

Do you believe in Ghosts?

Over many years, there have been a great many unexplained happenings at Jenolan Caves, some within the walls of historic Jenolan Caves House and many more underground within the caves themselves. These happenings have been recorded by staff at the caves over the years and have formed such a collection of stories that a distinctly different tour experience has been designed and runs every Wednesday and Saturday night...the "Legends, Mysteries and Ghosts Tour". But is this all just a bit of fun, or is there really something unexplained deep in the cave system?

Of course, we do not really know and nor are we attempting to convince anyone. However, caves have long been associated with mystery and the unknown. In western culture, caves have frequently been the home to dragons, goblins and other fantasy creatures reflecting a perception that there is much that we do not know about the subterranean realm and that the unknown may contain more than we expect. At Jenolan, cave guides frequently feel as if they are being watched in the caves and many a seasoned sceptic has reported seeing or hearing things that seem to have no natural explanation.

No explorers have ever perished exploring the caves, and there are no ghost stories to chill the marrow - no stories of horrors such as may be encountered at Port Arthur or Sydney's Quarantine Station for example. The most common belief is that, if there is indeed some form of presence within the caves, that it is a watchful and a protective one. And quite right too, as the caves are deserving of protection. Some guides believe that, just maybe, those who dedicated their lives to exploring and protecting their beloved caves have never really left...

Whether a believer or not, Jenolan remains a place of many mysteries and unanswered questions. The "Legends, Mysteries and Ghosts Tour" explores some of these issues and yet another aspect of the Jenolan Caves experience.

Jenolan Caves is extremely fortunate in having so many caves and so many available tours (11) within the visitor area. To do all of these standard tours would take the average visitor three days!

Probably the most famous and most often visited of all Jenolan's caves in the mighty Lucas Cave. This cave was officially discovered in 1860, though faded graffiti at the cave's original entance suggests that it may possibly have been entered two years earlier. It is the single largest cave in the Jenolan show-cave system, containing the widest single cave chamber, the Exhibition Chamber and the tallest in the Cathedral. The cave is a very diverse one, with each chamber being different and showcasing every imaginable type of calcite crystal decoration. Areas such as the Home of the Faeries, Music Hall and Mafeking Branch are amongst the most beautiful on display at Jenolan. A section of the Underground River, the Styx, is also visible at the bottom of the Exhibition Chamber. The Broken Column (picture below) may well be Jenolan's most photographed feature!

Visitors to the cave spend an hour and a half with a guide walking through over 800 metres of cave passageway and enjoying 900 stairs (up and down) throughout the duration of the tour. The experience of visiting the cave has changed dramatically since the first visitors in the 1860s ventured into the depths armed only with candles and flares. Today the pathway is well formed, with stainless steel handrails and a modern computer operated lighting system. A special treat on this tour is the extraordinary acoustics of the Cathedral Chamber. Since the earliest days, this area has been recognised as one of the greatest natural concert venues of the world, and regular concerts are still held monthly in the cave. Every tour is given a treat, with a multi-speaker sound system installed. There are few experiences more moving than to hear the music swell and see the lights coming on around this huge cave chamber.

Although there is certainly no such thing as "the best cave" at Jenolan, as each is very different, the Lucas is an essential experience for the Jenolan visitor. We are lucky to be able to view the cave, and fortunate that it has been protected for future generations. The cave was named for John Lucas MLA, a prominent political figure of the later 19th Century who was instrumental in securing legislation protecting the caves and outlawing the damaging and defacing of the delicate crystals.

It is sad news from Jenolan Caves - James Brady, Hospitality Operations Manager has recently resigned and is leaving the Jenolan team. James started at Jenolan in 2008, initially as Food and Beverage Manager, before taking on responsibility for management of the entire Jenolan Caves House in 2010.

James will be remembered for the boundless energy and enthusiasm with which he approached his work at Jenolan Caves. He was committed to the ideal of returning Caves House to its 'former glory days', and worked always towards this end. It is a testament to his hard work that so great a turnaround in the standard of service and presentation has indeed been achieved during his time at the helm. James was always particularly attached to raising the standard within the Chisolm's Grand Dining Room, and for the last two years this restaurant has won Gold at the Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Awards of Excellence. The number of themed historical dinners and the now annual Truffle Dinner further serve to showcase James' achievements and the high standard that he has attained.

James will also be remembered as a constant innovator, and an innovator certainly not restricted to his own department. The creation of the 'Cave Wine Cellar' in 2008 was an early indication of James' ability to dream big, but then to see these dreams realised. The 'Klingon Language Cave Tour' in 2010 was also largely the product of James' fertile imagination and desire to push boundaries and try new things.

James has clearly made a lasting impression and his legacy will remain at Jenolan for a long time to come. We wish him all the very best with his future endeavours.

This Saturday night, August 20th, Jenolan Caves House is featuring a very special menu. For the second year running, the night showcases the Perigord Black Truffles produced by the local Lowes Mount Truffiere. Jenolan is fortunate to be situated so close to the Oberon region, an area that provides Chisolms Grand Dining Room with a fine supply of quality local produce. Oberon has the right combination of climate and soils to produce these truffles, traditionally grown in the Perigord region of France.

Truffles are justifiably well renowned as delicacies, prized for their flavour, aroma and ability to intensify the flavours of other foods. On August 20th, these qualities will be stretched over a seven course degustation menu, with each course paired with a special wine. This banquet will include such temptations as Truffle Egg Oven Linguini and Pork Belly Risotto with Shaved Truffle. A further treat will be the presence at the dinner of Col and Sue Roberts, the owners of Lowes Mount Truffiere, who will share the secrets of these famous and sought after delicacies.

An additional feature of the weekend, for any dinner guests who also stay overnight in Caves House, will be the opportunity to participate in a Truffle Hunt on Sunday 21st with a specially trained 'Truffle Dog'!

More information is available at the official Jenolan website (follow the link on the right hand side of this page).

Last Friday night the annual Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon Tourism Awards of Excellence were announced at a gala dinner in Lithgow. Jenolan was a finalist in a record six categories on the night; Tourist Attractions, Adventure Tourism, Ecotourism, Heritage/Cultural Tourism, Festivals and Events and Tourism Restaurants.

The night was terrific, celebrating the whole region which is genuinely one of the premier tourist areas in the country. It was also a great success for Jenolan, picking up three Gold Awards! For the fourth year in a row Jenolan was recognised as the best Tourist Attraction in the region. This win represented a great achievement for all staff at the Caves. The past 12 months have been difficult ones, with the tourism industry in general facing enormous challenges. However, one of the strengths of Jenolan is its ability to reinvent itself and create engaging new products and tours and the last year has seen this momentum maintained through the energies and enthusiasm of Jenolan staff.

Jenolan also won Gold in the Festivals and Events category for 'Carols in the Caves'. This annual event, held on the second Saturday in December, is a spectacular celebration in the Grand Arch organised by Jenolan Staff, to raise funds for the Children's Hospital at Westmead. This was the second year that Jenolan was successful in this category.

The final Gold of the night was awarded to Jenolan's Chisolms Grand Dining Room in the Tourism Restaurants category. Hospitality Manager James Brady acknowledged all his staff in his acceptance speach, noting the enomous improvements that have been achieved in recent years and the high standard to which the restaurant now reaches.

The Jenolan team in attendance at the awards ceremony were also delighted when Charles Degotardi, Jenolan's Manager of Strategic Relationships, was recognised as one of the region's 'Tourism Ambassadors' for 2012. This was a fitting recognition for Charles' commitment to promotion of Jenolan and the region as a destination.

Jenolan now looks to the State Tourism Awards, to be announced in November, where we shall be hoping to increase the (already quite considerable) contents of out trophy cabinet!