The caves
were formed in a belt of limestone that dates back 440 million years. It
is around 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) wide and 14
kilometres (8.7 miles) long.
There are an
estimated 60 caves in the area and four are open to the public.
The name "Yarrangobilly" is a combination of the Wiradjuri words "yirra" meaning teeth and "bila" meaning river.
The teeth is a reference to the stalactites and
stalagmites in the caves and the bila refers to the rivers and creeks in the
area.
Prior to European settlement the Snowy Mountains area had been inhabited by the Walgalu people for thousands of years.
The caves were discovered by Europeans in 1834 when a stockman found cattle
sheltering in the Glory Arch.
Now there is a
path through the limestone cliffs to get to the caves.
We chose to do a self guided tour
of the South Glory Cave.
At less than 100,000 years old it is the “youngest” cave that is open to visitors.
The South Glory Cave used to be known simply as the “Glory Hole”.
(We won’t go down that path.)
In the 1950’s there were a guided tours of the cave, but when the caves were closed from 1966-1968 prisoners from Cooma Gaol (jail) worked on upgrading the facilities and cut a series of steps and paths.
(Maybe that was when they changed the cave name, for some obvious, or, not so obvious, reasons.)
The paths meant that visitors could have self-guided tours of the cave.
The distance through the cave is about 470 metres (1,540 ft) with 206 steps.
The
temperature, even on the hottest of days, hovers between 9°C and 11°C.
There are stalagmites
and stalactites.
I have been told the
way to remember the difference is that stalaGmites come up from the Ground.
And that stalaCtites
come down from the Ceiling.
I am glad that when I visited the cave the lights were on and there were paths to follow.
I give many thanks to the inmates that toiled to create the paths we enjoy today.
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