International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK) Competition
The International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK) Competition was conducted in 2021 and sponsored by Dubbo Regional Council,
Wellington Caves, the Australian Speleological Federation (ASF), the New Zealand Speleological Society (NZSS),
the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association (ACKMA) and Ledlenser.
Below are the Stories and Poems submitted for the Competition. Click on the page links below to view each individual entry.
Stories and Poems Author: Bella Koroni Title: She Lives There Bella Koroni - She Lives There Author: Deborah Henley Title: Dark and Mysterious Deborah Henley - Dark and Mysterious Author: Aanika Ganglani Title: My cave Aanika Ganglani - My cave Author: Gregory North Title: Deepens with the years Gregory North - Deepens with the years Author: Edwin Scanlan Title: My Cave Senses Edwin Scanlan - My Cave Senses Author: Esther Li Title: Jenolan caves Esther Li - Jenolan caves Author: Gregory Joass Title: What's in a cave Gregory Joass - What's in a cave
A few years back I heard a fellow in a car park at a tourist cave say that "If you've seen one cave, then you've seen them all". I thought at the time, and still think, he couldn't be more wrong. In my time I've seen a huge variety, starting when I was a kid and used to explore the rock overhangs, which we called 'the caves', on the plateau above where I lived. Once I could drive I also used to visit the 'Hole in the wall', which was not too far away, on Sydney's northern beaches. I've explored limestone caves all over Australia and can never see too many of the beautiful formations. I am particularly blessed here in SW Western Australia.
Amongst may others we have the second longest straw in Australia in the Jewel cave and the best helectites I've ever seen in Yallingup cave. I've also attended concerts in Yallingup cave. I've been in the lava tunnels at Undarra and Mt Eccles and seen the amazing collapse structures in Mt Gambier. I've seen the glow worms in Tunnel Creek and learnt the value of silence if you want them to light up. I've helped search for fossils at Mt Fairey, with paleontologists from the Australian Museum and more recently have helped safeguard archeologists exploring heritage caves in the Pilbarra region of WA. And yet for all that, I feel I've barely scratched the surface.
I am happy to say that I even have a cave of sorts, of my own, on the bush block where I now live. It doesn't get much better than that!Author: Abby Tan Title: Hastings cave Abby Tan - Hastings cave Author: Amelia Chalke Title: Empty cave Amelia Chalke - Empty cave Author: Bella Kotroni Title: She Lives There Bella Kotroni - She Lives There Author: Elaina Nathan Title: Caves Elaina Nathan - Caves Author: India Green Title: Inside the under India Green - Inside the under Author: Lilly Wells Title: Underground Mansion Lilly Wells - Underground Mansion Author: Olivia Daws Title: City of stalagmites Olivia Daws - City of stalagmites Author: Samia Kabalan Title: Cave Samia Kabalan - Cave Author: Sofia Karakazova Title: A Hidden Mystery Sofia Karakazova - A Hidden Mystery Author: Tzariellah Snjezana Title: Heart of the Mountain Tzariellah Snjezana - Heart of the Mountain
I was inspired by my last visit to Jenolan, where I got to explore, where others have walked before, and then pondered on their creation, time, and that we are fleeting visitors in the silent caves. It is a space, a different world.
A world that is created with or without the witness of a human that may or may not know or even appreciate the finite purpose and experience of --------- Beauty.
Author: Helen Lee Title: Karst amongst the chamber Helen Lee - Karst amongst the chamber Author: John Oxley Title: An Imaginary Trip Report John Oxley - An Imaginary Trip Report
There were once many small scale mining operations around Tasmania where determined men and women extracted tin, osmiridium, gold and other minerals. Some of these places are partially preserved while most are being reclaimed by the bush. Searching out and rediscovering these sites today fires the imagination.
Searching for, or just walking to caves in some parts of Tasmania can be both challenging and rewarding. Trips may involve negotiating untouched ancient eucalypt forests with sections of beautiful rainforest, gushing creeks and impenetrable horizontal scrub. I sometimes feel I shouldn't be surprised to catch a glimpse of a Tasmanian Tiger slink off into the scrub as I pass.
Of course some of Tasmania's caves are well known for their spectacular chambers and speleothems. As cavers we dream of finding more such amazing caverns or the 'master cave'.
In "An Imaginary Trip Report" I've allowed myself to experience a little of all of this.
John Oxley. August 2021Author: Jeanette Dunkley Title: Muddy, Muddy, Muddy Jeanette Dunkley - Muddy, Muddy, Muddy Author: Karen Lethlean Title: Going Back Karen Lethlean - Going Back Author: Kristine Fitzgerald Title: Lost and Found Kristine Fitzgerald - Lost and Found Author: Leah Miller Title: A Karst Of Shadows Leah Miller - A Karst Of Shadows
Some of the most important experiences that have always stuck with me have been the visit to different cave systems, like Jenolan Caves, Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Wellington Caves. In particular the glow worms of Waitomo inspired the central 'light' within my story, illuminating the underground world where many animals remain where they had fallen. But it is really Wellington caves, with its rich fossil history, that prompted me to write about one of these animals and what happens after they've died. How do their spirits experience after falling down a sinkhole into this underground world of strange mysteries and the unknown.
In all honesty, it is a wide combination of so many parts of this landscape and unknown world that makes me wonder and dream about all the experiences we might never know about, the stories of these animals and the people who once, long ago painted them upon cave walls. Sometimes it is those paintings that are the only record we have of these people and animals. I once visited an exhibition of the Cave of Lascaux with a full scale replica of it that you could walk through and it stuck with me. It stuck with me that we will never know the names of the people who painted them, know who they were or how they felt when they did, but the one thing we can name is the animals they depict. We can, after thousands of years, return their names to them because of the research and skills of scientists and explorers today.
Caves and karst landscapes are some of the most mysterious and fascinating of places because of the stories they tell us, past, present and future.Author: Lillyan Scanlan Title: The Enchanted Cave Mob Disaster Lillyan Scanlan - The Enchanted Cave Mob Disaster Author: Tanishka Ramesh Title: Alive Tanishka Ramesh - Alive Author: Serena Benjamin Title: The Hunting of Depth in the Dark Serena Benjamin - The Hunting of Depth in the Dark Author: Sharon Han Title: Mirror, mirror on the wall Sharon Han - Mirror, mirror on the wall Author: Danielle Ní Chróinín Title: Genesis Danielle Ní Chróinín - Genesis
This poem was inspired by the thought of a single raindrop's adventure as it drops to earth and play its role in the slow, steady birth of karst. I wanted to acknowledge the tiny drop's individual path, but also reference the force of many watery molecules forging a way en masse. I read it to my little girls, and explained the concept to them- that the rain and rivers and streams can shape the rock and they were spellbound.
Author: Owen Ray Title: Untitled Owen Ray - Untitled Author: David Jones Title: THE DELVE David Jones - THE DELVE Author: Linda Carter Title: Across the Nullarbor From Karst to Caves Linda Carter - Across the Nullarbor From Karst to Caves Author: Mary Trayes Title: Cave Images Mary Trayes - Cave Images Author: Ngaire North Title: Stars for the Lost and Lonely Ngaire North - Stars for the Lost and Lonely
