by Walter
Waerner
For my last subject at University I
was required to undertake a case study on an issue of Environmental Management.
This coincided nicely with the release in July of the new Draft Plan of
Management for the Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve. The Draft Plan became
my case study. On the 17th of October (missed out on Yarrangobilly!)
I drove up to Wombeyan to interview Mike Chalker, the Reserve Manager, to obtain
information for my assignment. Kerin Knuckey came along for the ride, armed to
the teeth with photography equipment to play with while I was off interviewing.
I spent about six hours on the
Reserve collecting information. Mike Chalker is a very approachable and
informative individual, especially as he helped write the Draft Plan and was
keen to get feedback from me as well. The interview went for well over an hour
as Mike answered my long list of questions based upon the Plan. After this I
was invited to have a look at the new improvements made to Figtree Cave, a self
guided tourist cave. I went there the long way round, via Tinted Cave and Mares
Creek. The longer walk was to search for photographic opportunities to aid my
slide show presentation I would give to the class two weeks later.
Mares Creek is no longer the water
supply for the Reserve, a bore has been sunk to replace this. As a result, the
Creek is now an ideal swimming location and seemed a nice place to visit on a
hot, spring day. Tinted Cave is so named as a result of the algae growths
growing along the rock in the filtered sunlight sections of cave. It also
contains an automated lighting system so that visitors can walk through the
cave to the viewing platform over the creek at the other end.
Eventually I made it to Figtree
cave. The new system is more coordinated than I remember the old one to be. The
recorded information was good and the staggered lighting arrangements make this
a great cave to visit. After exiting the cave I headed back to the car where
Kerin was waiting. We then drove back to Wollongong so that I could begin
typing the 2500 word submission for my Case Study. At least it’s on a topic I
enjoy!
(Maybe a
presentation at the February meeting??
ED)
12-13th August
2000
by Bob
Kershaw
Present:
Anthony Pezutto; Dave Dicker; John and Vonnie Kemister; Kerry Sanders; Gerrard
Collins and Bob Kershaw, and a few members from SSS.
This was
proposed as a family weekend and it turned into a relaxing and partime weekend
for many of the ISS group.
On Saturday
we woke to a frosty and very cold morning. At 8.30am Bob and Anthony were taken
for a walk over the nearby Wombeyan countryside by John Wiley and Simon, who
were retagging temporarily tagged caves in the area. We returned to camp at
lunch and Dave and Kerry had arrived. After lunch Dave and Kerry did a gentle
walk over the area and Anthony and Bob resumed their trekking with John in
search of more caves to retag. During the afternoon we had a chance to examine
the marble quarry and were astounded at the formations within the marble and
how caves are actually formed! More trekking to the old quarry and back to camp
about 4.30pm.
John and
Vonnie had arrived from Sussex Inlet and joined us in the pre-dinner gossip
before heading with Kerry to the warm cabin that they had booked for the night.
You’re
getting slack Kemister!
After
dinner we enjoyed the warmth of a great campfire and the yarns continued -
generally about caving and the future in Australia - too philosophical for some
so they turned in for an early night.
During the
night the Rangee of Gerrard’s arrived- heard by some but not the trekkers of
the day.
Sunday
Anthony had
to return to the ‘Gong’ to complete a Uni assignment, Dave did a bit more
gentle walking, The Kemisters went to Camden to say Happy Birthday to John’s 89
YO Mum and Kerry went home.
Gerrard and
Bob went with John and Simon to GPS cave locations in the Sigma area, near the
Pump House area and admire the countryside further from the camp. The weather
closed in and drizzled for the remainder of the trek. An early afternoon and
quick trip home pondering the 456 tagged caves, of variable size, in the area.
Not much
caving but it was great to see another area and enjoy the walking over the area.
Thanks to John and Simon who hosted us this weekend.