Friday, November 8, 2019

Crack of Doom area, Newnes State Forest, NSW, Australia


2019 November - day trip

To: Cathedral Cave
      Crack of Doom slots
      Diamond Cavern
Newnes State Forest, NSW, Australia


GPS tracklog file is in this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ucc_RTVk1lVpmDl1Zc8TnejZWBJk4eR/view

A detailed trip report will be written up one day ...
Watch this space 😊
For now, enjoy the pictures.




A pagoda-like rock formation

1)  Me 😊
- Bushwalking motto: Leave no rock un-climbed 😊
- Photographer: Jim





Cathedral Cave

2)  At Cathedral Cave.




3)  Looking out of the cave from its back wall.




Crack of Doom 2 slot

4)  In Crack of Doom 2 slot.
- Will be in Crack of Doom 1 slot later,
  photos #8, #9.
- A looong slot, seems to go on and on and on.
- Constantly 50 cm wide.





5)  The end of the slot is a most difficult climb.
      Refer to photo #6.
- White arrow: Yuri is climbing up now.





6)  To climb up, you'll need to be a spiderman,
      like Onni here !
- Left pic: Photographer: Yidan
- Right pic:
       • You can see how high up Onni is
          compared to Jennifer (white arrow).
       • This place is not for you
          if you are afraid of heights 😊





7)  Yuri giving a helping hand to Kristina.
      Else some of us will not be able to climb out.





Crack of Doom 1 slot

8)  Next, to Crack of Doom 1 slot.
- Black arrow:
       Entry into the slot is behind the black arrow.
- Yellow arrows: We'll exit out of there.





9)  At Crack of Doom 1 slot.
- Mostly 20 cm wide only !
- Need to inch forward sideways like a crab.
  Even then it is still difficult to squeeze through.
  And so, it took us forever to reach the end.
- If you intend to come here,
  best is to skip breakfast,
  and previous night's dinner too.
- If you are fatter than me, don't come here 😊



You really have to admire the very first person
who dared to venture into this slot.

What if the end of the slot is not passable ?

Geez, I wouldn't like to squeeze myself
all the way back out again.




Diamond Cavern

10)  At Diamond Cavern.




Flora

11)  Dendrobium striolatum
       (Streaked Rock Orchid)
       growing on a vertical rock face.
- It is a small orchid with cylindrical leaves.
- Flowering stems has one or two
  yellow, cream-coloured or greenish flowers
  with reddish stripes.
- Often grows on cliff faces, like here.





12)  Mistletoe (yellow circle).
- I was told that Mistletoe is a parasitic plant,
  grows by attaching to a host tree or shrub.
  Its roots penetrate the bark of host branch and
  take water and nutrients from the host plant.
- There you are, learn something new everyday !





Comment

Unfortunately, all these wonderful places are
in a state forest, not a national park.

Anytime, the NSW government can lease
the forest to a mining or logging company
and destroy them all 😭



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