Cave tours resume on fresh planks - Perth, Australia - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

News article text:

An underground timber boardwalk is helping visitors tread a little more lightly through Crystal Cave in Yanchep National Park.

The park closed cave tours for about three months while WA engineering company RSA Pty Ltd built the 250m jarrah boardwalk.

Although the national park remained open, guide Chanelle Morey said cave tours initially stopped during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Mrs Morey said it remained shut while the boardwalk was built, and the park offered tours of nearby Yonderup Cave instead.

“While the boardwalk was under construction, people weren’t missing out on seeing our wonderful cave system,” she said.

Crystal Cave tours resumed in mid-September, with numbers capped at 15 people to meet health guidelines.

Mrs Morey said previously people were walking on dirt through the cave, stirring up dust, so having the boardwalk would help look after the cave environment better.

Environment Minister Stephen Dawson and Butler MLA John Quigley explored the cave on October 1.

Mr Dawson said it was fantastic to see how boardwalks in caves made it a better environment for visitors.

Mr Quigley said Crystal Cave was one of Perth’s “hidden gems” on the tourist trail, complemented by other park attractions such as Yanchep Inn and Trees Adventure.

More West Australians have been exploring national parks because of the state border closure.

“People that haven’t been here since they were a kid are coming back,” senior ranger Mark Varley said.

Mr Dawson said it was great to see the $150,000 boardwalk ready for the school holidays.

“People farther south forget how close it is,” he said.

“With Yanchep National Park recording over 310,000 visits over the last 12 months, these refurbishments are sure to keep bringing people to the region and wandering out yonder.”

Mr Quigley said it would become a more popular tourist attraction once the Yanchep rail extension opened in 2022 and bus services connected to the national park.

“Yanchep National Park is simply iconic and deserving of world class facilities,” he said.

Mrs Morey said recent visitors included a couple celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary who got married at the park.

She said the park also hosted its first post-covid wedding in September, and school tours had resumed.

Mr Dawson said Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff enhanced visitors’ experiences and the department was good at working with local businesses.

He said it had secured COVID-19 recovery funding for recent road upgrades and a $500,000 makeover at Gloucester Lodge.

Cave tours can be booked online through Explore Parks WA or through the visitors centre in Yanchep National Park.

The national park has more than 400 registered caves, with a handful open for tours or adventure caving.

Type of publication: Internet Only When was the article reported?: 10/02/2020 Publication: The West Australian Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Arts/Culture

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