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Australian Caving 2005

Hidden deep beneath the old-growth forests of South-Western Australia is a spectacularly beautiful underground world. Our caves are heavily decorated with underground lakes, waterfalls, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone and crystal. The locations of most are somewhat secret to prevent public damage, but I spent many weeks caving during university, and so I know where to find them (apart from the weekend I forgot, and led two mates aimlessly around the forest for an entire weekend … sorry guys! At least we found one cave we didn't know about ... )

 


 

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Bride’s Cave doline.

Bride’s Cave was supposedly named after an early pioneer who was married there. At 150 feet, the abseil into the far side (note the abseil point top left), is the second deepest in the south-west. It felt like hanging suspended in space or scuba-diving in the ocean when I did it, because the ground is so far it seems unreal. My mad but very brave brother Dave has star-jumped into this cavern twice - which involves leaping off the edge spread-eagled. By sacrificing your own descent control, your life is entirely in the hands of the person on belay at the bottom of the rope. Wanna try?