TRAX Trip Report – Walli Caves Recce
31st May 2024
We’ve been on a recce
Walli Caves
Friday 31 May 2024
Very overcast in Sydney. Heavy rain forecasted. Trip went ahead anyway with two Vehicles in convoy:
- Mitsubishi Pajero. Occupants: Matthew Smith, Driver, and Ron Owen, Passenger
- Land Rover Disco S4 Occupants: Neil Flower, Mac. Cusiter (Drivers), and Phillip Favaloro. Passenger.
• Both vehicles left Sydney at 6:00am, stopped for early Morning tea at Maccas Lithgow at 8:45am
• Lithgow also totally overcast.
• Departed Lithgow 9:20am approx. Good run along GW Hwy to Bathurst, the Mid Western Hwy to Blayney.
• Rain, reasonably light, began just as we entered Blayney.
• Stopped at Blayney bakery for loaf of bread and some ‘eats’, then drove to Mandurama to turn onto Belubula Way. (That’s the road to Canowindra). Approx 19kms came to Walli Rd where the real Recce began.
• Tried a couple of small roads with no result. Then called into a farm and whacko! Met with the Manager and his wife and little daughter. Very helpful, kind and obliging people who even took us out through the paddocks to where the Walli caves were. They were most helpful especially as the lady had some knowledge of some of Neil’s distant relatives who had lived and fossicked in that area many years ago.
• Still raining lightly at 1:00pm, Matt had swung out the ‘Fox-wing’ shade from the Pajero and set up his gas stove and we proceeded to make lunch.
• We were on top of a ridge but some entrances to the caves could be seen from where we were.
• Rain continued – still a light drizzle which would have made it difficult for both people and vehicles to exit from the valley had we decided to go down to explore.
• No worries! We have an invitation from the property managers to come back at any time. This was as good as we could have possibly hoped for on such a Recce!
To Sum up –
• There are 3 cave systems in this area although there are many individual caves.
• The 3 systems are the Walli, Belubula and Cliefden systems. All are on private property, but TRAX has now obtained permission (and a welcome!) to come and explore 2 of these systems. We intend to visit the property owner of the 3rd lot of caves to see if we can visit them also. This is a great privilege, and we warmly thank the property managers for their welcomes and kindness.
• Even if you don’t like caving, there is some good 4WD country ‘out there’.
• Keep watching our trip calendar for date(s) of these trips.
– Neil Flower. Troublemaker and trip Leader.
Out of interest, there were 46 known tagged and mapped caves at Walli as of 1985, every known cave around the world is numbered.
Walli caves are located north of Woodstock; 33O35’S 148O55’ E; Bathurst-/-; Ordovician limestone; prominent outcrops along Licking Hole creek; extent 3km x 2km; grazing; area about 3sq.km; significant bone deposits in caves; privately owned; Access controlled at owner’s request – permit required from SSS (Sydney Speleological Society); coord SSS; data by P. Wellings SSS 1975.
Looking forward to your trip Neil!