April"! 

 1957 J 



Beauftkhole & Learmonth, The Byaduk Cavrs 



2US 



There are twelve main caves in the area, some of which are 

 connected by long" dark passages which gave us the impression that 

 connections between most of them could perhaps be found. AH the 

 caves contain ferns, though the species vary, some being in one 

 cave only. The Church Caves are by far the largest and can be 

 entered by a scramble down a heap of fallen boulders covered with 

 lichens and mosses. The two long deep open holes are connected 

 by an immense underground passage through which one must 





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Map of Byaduk Caves Area, 



1, 2 — Harwans Caves; -3, 4 — Bridge Caves: 5, 6 — Church Caves; 

 /—The Flower Pot; 8— Tunnel Cave; 9, 10— The Turk: II— Fern 



Cave. 



proceed very cautiously amongst great rocks fallen from the roof. 

 At both east and wesr ends of the long open caves are large deep 

 cavities running for unknown distances. 



In the space between the sunny outside and the limit of light 

 inside grow masses of ferns, mosses, lichens and liverworts. They 

 are on the 'cave floors, up the walls and hanging down far overhead 

 from the roof. The west end of the Church Gave is the richest 

 In ierns. Austral Bracken {Pteridiwn esculentum) stops abruptly 

 where direct sunlight ends, the plants farthest in having fronds up 

 to 1 i ft. 6 in. in length, struggling up to the light, the tallest bracken 

 yet reported. The very variable Rock Fern (Cheihwthes tcmiijoliu) 



