Carols in the Caves

I’ll admit it.  I’m a sucker for a Christmas concert.  It’s a great way to get into the spirit and who doesn’t know the words to all the songs?  I was excited for this weekend for a couple of reasons - I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit and I was really looking forward to getting away with David.  

The drive to the Jenolan Caves (http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/) was curvy but pleasant.  The scenery was beautiful and the weather was fair.  We made it to the caves in time to do a tour before the concert.  We were guided through the Orient cave and were fascinated by what we saw!

The caves are made of limestone and were only discovered by Europeans in the late 1800’s (known to the local Aboriginal population for many thousands of years before that as Binoomea, "Dark places") There are many secret caves still being discovered.  They have been well maintained by the staff and recently went through a major lighting renovation, upgrading the lights to LED.  The effect is stunning.  The crystals inside the caves are made when the water slips through the cracks in the stone, dissolving the minerals and creating amazing artistic displays.  The colors vary depending on the environmental factors that year and no two shapes are the same.  The pathway built into each cave is narrow and unobtrusive for the natural environment but it allows spectators to enjoy themselves during the tour.  I’ll warn you it’s not for those who are claustrophobic - it’s a bit cramped in places but certainly worth checking it out.  

The concert was less than thrilling... Unfortunately, while the location was stellar and the acoustics were really amazing, the quality of the singing was sub-par.  David left half way through to take a nap in the car, it was so bad!  We laughed as we left saying we would never do that particular Christmas concert again.  I’m still interested to hear the string quartet play at some point next year, though.  

I’ve attached some pictures of the formations for your enjoyment!

That night, we stayed at at B&B called the Kurrara Historic Guest House located in Katoomba.  Dinner was at Solitary (http://www.solitary.com.au/) just a walk away from the B&B.  The view from the restaurant was lovely and the meal was delicious.  We’ll go back there again for sure.  

~LAA =)