WOMBEYAN – 14-15 June 2025
A year or more ago, I did some cave cleaning work down at Yarrangobilly. I really enjoyed it (how sad is that), it was very satisfying to see cave formations that had mud on them be restored to their natural beauty just with a little water, vacuuming or a gentle scrubbing. So, when I found a cave at Wombeyan that needed a little love and care, I was excited to give it a go – after all when I get too old to do regular caving, this may be what I CAN do!
With Wombeyan, when you want to visit their caves, you have to get permission (a permit) and it helps with your application if you suggest a “project” – this can be anything from surveying a cave or volunteering some time to them to help them out.
MSS had visited Wombeyan in 2024 (the project was “leader familiarisation”) and visited Glenecor Cave (among other caves). At the time we determined that the cave would benefit from some flowstone cleaning. So, we applied for a permit to visit Wombeyan in June 2025. Beth offered to help me with the cleaning and everyone else got to go off and visit some of the caves.
Beth and me on the right and the surface support team, (l-r) Kathy & John G, Rod S, Steve (NP Ranger, Jim C, Vamsi, Matt & Scott). (photo Rob C) – Mat is for keeping our feet out of the mud.
Almost everyone had arrived on Friday night, Beth and I arrived early on Saturday morning. I’d asked everyone to bring a 3L “Cave Cleaning” water so when I arrived, I asked them to fill these bottles with from water out of the Creek (you can’t use town water for cave cleaning). We then all headed off to Guinecor using Rod’s GPS to find it (it’s amazing how you can forget how to get to a cave after 12 months!).
Dropping the bottles at the entrance, the surface crew went off and let Beth and me get down to business – first though we had to descend on the old ladder (actually, that’s Kathy G at the top). The cave was once a tourist cave, and visitors descended by this steel ladder. (photo John G – John & Kathy helped bring down the heavy water bottles)
Formation just inside the cave, in the past, there would have been chicken wire around the fence to keep visitors away from the formations. They are all in good condition, so no cleaning needed. (Photo John G).
Beth and I decided to focus on 2 areas and also do a little spot cleaning. This photo is one from 2024 showing what the flowstone looked like before we started.
This is what it looked like when we’d finished, there are a few other spots on this that we can work on next time.
Beth putting towels out to absorb muddy water as we set to clean this flow stone in a side passage.
The areas cleaned now have signs (courtesy of CSS) alerting cavers that if they wish to go into these areas they should change shoes as it’s now a clean zone.
We were finished by 2pm, using our surplus water to wash down other areas. The cleaning wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been, another club had been in and done some cleaning a few months before, nevertheless National Parks were happy with our before and after photographs and the work we had done.
We still have some cleaning to do in other areas and I’m keen to go back, if anyone is interesting in helping us with this project, just say the word! Big thanks to Beth for helping me out – and the surface support crew for carrying up the water bottles!