Mammoth Cave
After visiting Sandalford Winery in Wilyabrup, we moved again. After half an hour, we reached a cave located underground of Boranup part of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. The main feature that the cave is proud of is, it is the home to ancient fossil remains of long-extinct giant animals known as Australian Megafauna. The cave shows its fossil jawbone of one of the giant marsupial species embedded within the limestone wall – 50,000 years after the animal roamed the forests above.
Zygomaturus Jawbone in the wall of the cave – “The jawbone is older than the layer of flowstone capping the deposit, which was deposited approximately 44,000 years before present”
Our cave exploration starts from walking on a boardwalk that led us to the entrance of the cave. The boardwalk itself makes the visit comfortable to any guest. Mammoth Cave itself is proud to be the most easily accessible cave in all the show caves in the region and one of just a few caves in the south-west which contains fossils. What I like about the area of the cave is, it is covered by forest which called as marri forest.
Boardwalk towards the Mamoth Cave
Mammoth Cave Entrance
When we entered the cave, we were greeted by an open space of the cave where anyone can see the visible stalactites and stalagmites. The boardwalk continues inside the cave near the entrance and ended beside the stream that flows during winter. Our guide emphasize one of the significant stalagmite located where the water flows during wet season.
Open space near cave’s entrance
Since it was not my first time to be in the cave, seeing stalagmite and stalactite are now common to me. Probably the thing that I enjoyed inside of it are the different formation of stalagmite and stalactite. Some stalactite are all too pointed which means kind of young stalactite, while some are so huge which we can say a very old one. Some stalagmite at the ground looks like some ancient civilization that we lost a long time ago. If my mind were more imaginative, I can think more.
Stalagmite and Stalactites
Stalactite
Stalagmite
Naturally, because the cave becomes popular tourist spot in the region, they placed stairways and boardwalk inside the cave that even wheelchair can access. These can be enjoyed by any visitors and also protect the life of the cave itself. With this, I can say that Mammoth Cave is one of the most accessible cave that I visited to date.
Flowstone
Aside from stalactite and stalagmite, another common thing to see inside Mammoth Cave are Flowstone where some were still crystallized and some are not anymore. And the most important thing in science and history, the fossils that found inside the cave.
Fossils
Inside the Cave
We climbed up and down, by following the pathways to see more of the cave. It is fascinating as the cave is another proof of time. Historically, early diggers of the cave excavated fossil collection of 10,000 specimens. And the most important discovery did during excavation was the fossil of the extinct animal in Australia. Historically, the cave opened to tourist in 1904.
Boranup Forest
Coming from Mammoth Cave, on our way to our next destination while we took the Cave Roads, we had to maneuver to a rough road and got a chance to see and appreciate the natural beauty that Boranup Forest has to offer. Boranup Forrest consist of towering karri forest on the west coast of Western Australia between Margaret River and Augusta.
Notes :
1. Plan to visit Mammoth Cave ? Please check latest information here. How about Boranup Forrest? Check here.
2. Location : W2QH+RV Boranup, Western Australia, Australia
3. Directions to Mammoth Cave and Boranup Forrest:
a. Join Day Tours from Perth or
b. Driving to Boranup
Official Website : Mammoth Cave, Boranup Forest
