I had a pleasant day out exploring Blair Athol Coal Mine in Blue Mountains National Park at Mount Victoria, NSW, Australia.
It was the 4th mine (now abandoned) owned by a Queensland based company called Blair Athol Coal & Timber company.
The mine adit is 300 meters long. Incline is a steady 15%. You can walk the first 200 meters. The last 100 meters is flooded.
At where it is flooded, the water level is steady at the same level all these years. It suggests that as water seeps into the mine, it also somehow seeps out at the same rate..
Pictures - taken in 2019 August
A more detailed trip report will be written up one day ... watch this space :-)
For now, enjoy these pictures.
1) Blair Athol Coal Mine entrance
2) Inside Blair Athol Coal Mine
3) Seems to be a Sydney Rock Warbler's nest ... Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Why built a nest inside a mine adit ? :-)
4) Raphiophoridae
Common names are: Cave Weta, Cave Cricket, Spider Cricket ... more about it in the next photo.
5) Characteristics of Cave Crickets (Spider Crickets) are long legs, extremely looong antennae, and flightless.
6) Hanging on the ceiling of the cave is a fungus with an intricate fruiting body.
If you know the species name, please let me know.
7) The mine is flooded 200 meters in from the entrance.
- Unlike other mines I have visited, the water here is extremely clear. If you don't watch out, you won't notice the water and would just keep walking ! :-)
- The water level is also constant all these years ... indicating that as water seeps into the mine, it also somehow seeps out at the same rate.
8) Steve strips to his underpants to check out the water :-)
- Actually, people have dived inside this mine ... No, not us, not this time :-)
9) On our way out
10) Afterwards, Steve (the guy in photo #8) leads us to a ventilation shaft for the mine ... about 300 meters east of the mine entrance.
- He discovered it not long ago.
- As the vertical shaft is almost covered up with vegetation, if you go bushbashing in this area, be careful. The shaft is deep. If you fall in, you'll be dead.
- The National Parks authorities may not even know about it ! As otherwise, they would have sealed it; or erect some signage to warn you about the shaft.
Comment
Visit the mine if you have a chance ... It is an interesting place.
And with luck, you maybe able to spot the Cave Crickets (Spider Crickets) ... photos #4 and #5.
But to me, the fungus in photo #6 is most fascinating.
Some websites suggest there are Glow-Worms in the tunnel. We detected none :-(
But if you saw some, please let me know. I'll check out the mine again and report the finds here :-)
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