#BucketListOdyssey #4 Visit Wonder Caves

#BucketListOdyssey #4 Visit the Wonder Caves

Inside the Wonder Cave

Today we are off the Cradle of Humankind World heritage Site to see one of the wonders of the underground, a huge cave. We discovered that there are over 200 caves within this World Heritage Site. The cave we are about to enter into is really no ordinary cave.

So which caves are we off to see?

The Wonder Cave is located in the internationally known valley of Kromdraai within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site amidst many famous paleontological sites containing the oldest relics of mankind. Kromdraai is found here in Gauteng, South Africa and is the third-largest cave chamber in the country. The cave is believed to be around 2.2 billion years old. The single chamber has an area of 46000 square metres, and is 125 metres long and 154 metres wide.

The cave which is a naturally occurring limestone cavern and one of the most strikingly beautifully decorated caves in South Africa, has about 14 stalactite and stalagmite formations reaching up to an impressive 15 metres in height and 85% of these are still growing. The 60 metre deep cave is accessible to visitors by elevator, and is located within the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, in the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site. This magnificent cave gives us some incredible clues as to the geological wonders that lie right beneath us.

The Wonder cave is surrounded by several game farms with an abundance of wild life and stunning bird-life. The cave is really close to the famous Sterkfontein Caves as well as the fantastic Maropeng Visitor Centre within the Kromdraai Valley.
The entire area of The Cradle of Humankind made up of over 47,000 hectares of privately owned land.

Who discovered the cave?
Like many of the limestone caves in the northwest of Johannesburg it was early miners who discovered the Wonder Cave in the late nineteenth century who dynamited and excavated limestone for the making of cement. There was a lot of prospecting for gold and you are still able to see the evidence of their blasting and mining actives during the tour. Mining stopped during the Second Boer War, and thankfully it was never resumed or we may have lost this gem altogether.
Sadly the lower reaches of the cave were severely damaged by these mining activities in the late 1800s, however it contains dripstone formations as beautiful as those found in our own Cango Caves.
This natural wonder which was only opened to the public 1991, boasts an enormous single chamber which one enters by elevator beside walls decorated with beautiful formations up to 15m high.

What has been found in the cave?
Small bones of rodents, frogs, lizards and birds have been discovered in the talus cone (cave in-fill) at the back of the cave. This cave has the best example in the region of a relatively young talus cone (a few thousand years old), which helps us understand how the older caves in the area were filled in.

It also has a resident bat population.
What is special about the formations?
Come along and we will show you………………..

From Rimstone pools, cave pearls, stalactites, stalagmites, popcorn formations, straw formations, mushroom formations, the Madonna, tjoe there are just so many and you could be forgiven for thinking that you had just landed in a world of fantasy and fable.

This is what we will find inside….the tour…
The Wonder Cave is a huge single limestone cavern measuring 125m long, 54m wide and 60m deep. Reasonable fitness is required to tour the Wonder Cave. Whilst no crawling or arduous physical activity is required to complete the tour, the 88 steps that lead you into, and out of, the cave tend to leave most visitors a little breathless!

Formed between five and 10-million years ago, the Wonder Cave is remarkable in that its ancient dripstone formations are largely intact, and still growing.
Among the fantastical natural flowstone sculptures you'll see are stalagmites, some resembling weird mushrooms and jellyfish, others that look like fingers, depending on your imagination.

The variety of stalactites in the Wonder Cave is also impressive. Some clusters resemble crystal chandeliers; others petrified stone curtains.

The largest formation measures 15m in length and weighs 50 tons; other flowstone sculptures are as slender and delicate as gossamer.

In the Northern Chamber, the first area of the cavern visited on your tour, is a natural pool reminiscent of a font such as one finds at a shrine.
Coincidentally, the next flowstone formation you are shown is called the Madonna, and it's hard not to imagine supernatural powers at work as you wonder, slack-jawed with awe, at what time and nature have wrought in this subterranean limestone cathedral.

Tours:

Tours are conducted by competent guides along well-lit pathways, where no crawling is necessary, reducing the likelihood of claustrophobia.

Visiting hours:

Monday to Friday from 08h00 to 17h00 (last tour is at 16h00)

Saturday and Sunday from 08h00 to 18h00 (last tour is at 17h00)

CONTACT DETAILS:

Wonder Cave

Tel: +27 (0)11 957 0106/9

Wild Cave Adventures

Tel: +27 (0)82 486 2467; +27 (0)82 486 2464

Email: info@wildcaves.co.za

HOW TO GET HERE - Take the R512 off the N1 highway and turn in the direction of Lanseria Airport. Follow the R512 past the three-way stop at Lanseria and then turn left at the Kromdraai/Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve sign. Follow the road for approx. 15km. The main entrance to the reserve will be on your right.

BEST TIME TO VISIT - Tours of the cave are available from 8am to 5pm every weekday (last tour at 4pm), and from 8am to 6pm on weekends and public holidays (last tour at 5pm). we were the last tour and ended up with our own private tour. It was fantastic and our guide was very informative explaining all the amazing history and timelines of the cave

TOURS TO DO - Thrill seekers can abseil into the Wonder Cave, on a 90-minute tour that includes a visit to the Bat Cave. The abseil tour option is run by Wild Cave Adventures. Next on our list!!

GET AROUND - You’ll need your own vehicle to reach the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve. Once there, it's a 10-minute drive up to the cave. It really was easy to find and you also have a chance to see some of the wild animals in the park when you drive through.

WHAT WILL IT COST - R70 per adult, R60 for pensioners and R50 for children under 12.

LENGTH OF STAY - The tour takes approximately 45 minutes.

WHAT TO PACK - Walking surfaces in the cave can be quite slippery. Closed shoes with a good grip are preferable. The cave is well lit but bring a torch along for extra dramatic effect. You will need your camera to be equiped with a powerful flash to take photographs in the cave.

WHERE TO STAY - The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve has a rustic rest camp as well as luxury log cabins for hire. The five-star Forum Homini hotel is also nearby.

WHAT TO EAT - A kiosk at the cave site sells snacks and drinks. We had some great toasted sandwiches and ice-cream. Alternately, there are barbeque facilities and a restaurant at the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve.