Bungonia Caves
Encyclopedia
Bungonia Caves is the name given to a series of caves near the city of Goulburn, New South Wales
Australia.
(SRA) adjoining the Morton National Park
, about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Goulburn and about 125 kilometres (77.7 mi) south-west of Sydney
, Australia
.
The caves are formed in limestone at the southern extremity of the Sydney basin
, a broad expanse of New South Wales
between this point, the city of Newcastle
in the north, the town of Lithgow
to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
The caves are precipitous in many places and entry is limited. The presence of "Foul air", dangerous levels of C02 or 02, is common in the Bungonia caves, especially in summer and in The Grill Cave in particular.
One of the more well-known caves, The Drum Cave, is an important bat breeding site. The Large Bent-wing Bat (formerly known as the Common Bent-wing Bat), is listed as Vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995) in New South Wales. Drum Cave is closed annually from November 1 through to April 1 in order to provide a safe environment for the bats during their breeding season, but is open and available to the public for the remainder of each year. The importance of Drum Cave for the preservation of the Large Bent-wing Bat is underscored by the fact that the next closest suitable breeding cave is located near Wee Jasper. Grill Cave is also normally closed for the month of December as a bat staging cave. Chalk Cave is closed 1 May to 30 September for bat hibernation over winter. Entry to these caves during this period caries a fine and so people are requested no to do so, they are open for the remainder of the year.
Many fossil
s can be found along the various walking tracks in the vicinity of the caves. There are also colour coded bushwalks through the area.
For a full list and detailed information and maps, the book: "Under Bungonia" is very helpful.
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
Australia.
Overview
The caves are sited within the Bungonia State Recreation AreaBungonia State Recreation Area
The Bungonia State Recreation Area is a nature reserve near the city of Goulburn, New South Wales Australia.The SRA is about east of Goulburn and about south-west of Sydney, and it adjoins the Morton National Park....
(SRA) adjoining the Morton National Park
Morton National Park
Morton is a national park in New South Wales , 170 km southwest of Sydney.The most notable attractions are the Fitzroy Falls, just off the main road from the Highlands to Kangaroo Valley and Pigeon House Mountain west of Milton. The park consists mostly of a flat plateau dissected by steep...
, about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Goulburn and about 125 kilometres (77.7 mi) south-west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The caves are formed in limestone at the southern extremity of the Sydney basin
Sydney Basin
The Sydney Basin is a sedimentary basin on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia consisting of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks...
, a broad expanse of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
between this point, the city of Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
in the north, the town of Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
The caves are precipitous in many places and entry is limited. The presence of "Foul air", dangerous levels of C02 or 02, is common in the Bungonia caves, especially in summer and in The Grill Cave in particular.
One of the more well-known caves, The Drum Cave, is an important bat breeding site. The Large Bent-wing Bat (formerly known as the Common Bent-wing Bat), is listed as Vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act (1995) in New South Wales. Drum Cave is closed annually from November 1 through to April 1 in order to provide a safe environment for the bats during their breeding season, but is open and available to the public for the remainder of each year. The importance of Drum Cave for the preservation of the Large Bent-wing Bat is underscored by the fact that the next closest suitable breeding cave is located near Wee Jasper. Grill Cave is also normally closed for the month of December as a bat staging cave. Chalk Cave is closed 1 May to 30 September for bat hibernation over winter. Entry to these caves during this period caries a fine and so people are requested no to do so, they are open for the remainder of the year.
Many fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s can be found along the various walking tracks in the vicinity of the caves. There are also colour coded bushwalks through the area.
List of Caves
There are over one hundred and ninety caves at Bungonia, though some of these are not much more than small holes in the ground. They include:- The Drum Cave
- The Blowfly Cave
- The Grill Cave
- Argyle Cave
- Chalk Cave
- College Cave
- Mass "cathedral" cave
- Canberra Hole
- Odyssey (Note: Closed. For research use only)
- Fossil cave - Hogans Hole
- System
- Spider
For a full list and detailed information and maps, the book: "Under Bungonia" is very helpful.