Australia - South West Australia

Giant's Cave

The first modern record of Giants Cave was made in 1900 by Marmaduke Terry, a government surveyor. In the early days of the 20th century, it was used as a tourist cave and was fitted with 300 metres of steps and rails. There was even a platform installed for picnics at the bottom of the entrance staircase!

Nowadays we know much more about how to protect our caves, and we don't introduce foreign materials such as food, sticky drinks or cigarettes.

Giants Cave is one of the largest and deepest caves on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge. It has a surveyed length of 575 metres and goes down to approximately 86 metres underground.

The cave is approached via a spectacular doline entrance with a diameter of approximately 100 m. A doline is a crater formed by the collapse of a cave roof. The doline at Giants Cave was formed thousands of years ago. Entry from the doline into the cave proper is via a long, steep flight of steps.

On the descent into this "twilight zone", the effect of water and light can be seen on the ceiling above, where the combination of algal growth and calcite deposits has created natural sculptures of various colours and textures.

Many nocturnal animals use these semi-dark areas, resting during the day and venturing out to hunt at night. In early winter, fungi proliferate on the earth floors at the base of the stairs. "Moonmilk" can be spotted on the walls and ceilings in several places. Moonmilk is a special feature of some caves.

White and resembling ricotta cheese, it is actually a living culture, absorbing nutrients from the decay of organic matter and chewing up the limestone until it becomes crumbly. In the past, moonmilk was considered beneficial to apply as a poultice on infected wounds. Nowadays, we leave it alone, and respect it as part of the fragile eco-balance within the cave environment.

Soon after entering the cave the path goes deep underneath Caves Road. The marked trail negotiates a rockpile and descends to the 'Ballroom' — a spectacular chamber, 40 metres long and with a flat sandy floor. This was once a stream bed, and when the water diverted away from the cave, the floor was coated with a fine layer of calcite deposit. Unfortunately, it was so fragile that it could not withstand the careless stomping of decades of thoughtless adventurers, and this delicate dusting of fine crystals has now been obliterated.
In 1958, the connection was discovered linking the Ballroom through the rockpile to the 'Arborite Chamber' and the rest of the cave. Erosion damage by numerous visitors climbing through the rockpile and dislodging loose rubble and soils created unstable areas and, in 1993, the ladders were installed to bypass the danger zone.

In recent years, continuing progress has been made installing the infrastructure which allows access and exploration of the cave to visitors whilst protecting the cave from further erosion. The Arborite Chamber is impressive for its size and decoration. The word 'Arborite' is derived from a combination of 'stalactite' and 'arbor' (the latin word for tree), and refers to the massive calcified tree roots suspended from the lofty roof, for which this chamber is renowned. The varied colours of the arborites is due to minerals and tannins deposited by seeping water.

The exit from the cave is through a gate into a small doline, and then along a bush track which leads back to the entrance.
Giants Cave is, for many people, the most exciting and challenging cave they will experience. The sense of adventure is matched only by the sense of achievement on emerging at the other end. This emotion would be hugely diminished for the majority of visitors if they were supervised by guides at every step of the way, and we would all like it to remain that way.

For this reason, trust is placed on visitors to be responsible and respectful of the sensitive nature of the cave environment, and to pass on that respect to younger members of groups. In this way future visitors to Giants can continue to enjoy the adventurous quality of the cave, as well as its beauty, as you have been able to do.

A spectacular ceiling in Giants Cave, Australia.

A caver climbs a ladder in Giants Cave, Australia.