Critical review of a research paper

parknotesBuchan Caves ReserveVisitor GuideNestledinapicturesquevalleyinEastGippslandtheBuchanCavesReservehidesanundergroundworldofcolourandenchantmentjustwaitingtobediscovered.HundredsofcavesarelocatedinthisregionandsomeofthemostspectacularlimestoneformationsinAustraliacanbefoundhere.TheReserveishometotheRoyalCaveandFairyCave,twoofthefinestcavesintheregionboastingelaboratestalactitesandstalagmitesandbeautifulcalciteLocation andaccessBuchanCavesReserveislocated360km eastof Melbourne.TheReserveis60minsfrom Bairnsdale viaBruthen(B500/C620/C608),or45minsfrom LakesEntranceviaNowaNowa(A1/C620/C608).WelcometoCountryOnFriday22October2010boththeFederaland StateGovernmentsformallyrecognisedthe GunaikurnaipeopleastheTraditionalOwnersof over20percentofpubliclandwithinGippsland andEasternVictoria. TheVictorianGovernment andtheGunaikurnaipeopleformallysigned Victoria'sfirstsettlementagreementunderthe new TraditionalOwnerSettlementAct2010. This agreementinvolvedthetransferoftenparksand reservestotheGunaikurnaias"AboriginalTitle" whichwillbejointlymanagedinconjunctionwithParksVictoria.BuchanCavesReserveisoneofthejointlymanaged parkswithinGippsland. Thisagreementrecognises thefactthattheGunaikurnaipeoplehavealways beenconnectedtotheirlandandaretherightful peoplewhospeakforthatCountry.Theseparksand reservesareculturallandscapeswhicharepartof ourlivingculture.FacilitiesBuchanCavesReserveprovidesfacilitiesforboth dayvisitorsandovernightcampers.Youwillfind cabins,wildernessretreats,poweredandunpowered sites,hotshowers,toilets,alaundry,acamper’s kitchenandelectricandwoodfiredbarbeques.There isalsoaplaygroundandaswimmingpoolwhichis fedfrom anundergroundstream.TheVisitorCentre boastsaninterpretivedisplayofthecavesystems withinthereserve.Cave toursGuidedtoursareconductedeverydayoftheyear exceptforChristmasDay.From theSeptember schoolholidaystoEaster,therearefivetoursdaily.AftertheEasterschoolholidaysuntiltheSeptember schoolholidaystherearethreetoursdaily.Fromancient timesThelimestonerockatBuchanwaslaiddownduring theDevonianperiodabout300-400millionyears ago.Atthetime,theseacoveredthisareaofEast Gippslandwhichwasalivewithshellfishandcoral. Theirremainsweredepositedinlayersandoverthe yearscompactedtoform limestone.Astheocean receded,thelimestonewassubjectedtosevereearth movement,whichfoldedandcrumpledthelandinto itspresentformation.FormingacaveThelayersoflimestoneareknownas‘bedding planes’.Verticaljointlinesacrossthebeddingplanes allow watertoseepthroughtherock,andovertime thiswateractionslowlydissolvesthelimestone.This ishow cavedevelopmentbegins.Overmanythousandsofyearsthewatereventually carvesouttherockleavinglargechambersand passages.Theundergroundriversarenow dryor havealteredtheircourse,althoughtherearestill smallflowsinthewetseasonwhenthecavescome alive.Cave decorationsDecorationsincavesarecausedbyseepageof rainwaterthroughtinycracksinlimestonerock. Whenthiswaterreachesacavedropletsaccumulate ontheceiling.Carbondioxidegasisthenreleased from thewaterdropletleavingasmallringofcalcite. Overthousandsofyearsthisprocesscontinues,drop afterdrop,slowlyformingastalactite.Infastergrowingperiodsthewatersplashestothefloorformingstalagmites.Sometimesthestalactites andstalagmitesmeettoform apillaroracolumn. Whenthewaterflowsdownthewallsorroofofa caveataslightangle,blanketorshawldecorations areproduced.Large‘flowstone’formations resemblingwaterfallsarecausedbywaterflowing overledgesofrockorgravelbanks.FormoreinformationcalltheParksVictoriaInformationCentreon131963 orvisitourwebsiteatwww.parks.vic.gov.au
ForfurtherinformationParksVictoria Information CentreCall131963 orvisittheParks Victoriawebsitewww.parks.vic.gov.auParkOffice Buchan CavesReserveCavesRoad BuchanVic 3885 LakesEntranceVisitorInformation CentreCnrMarinePde& TheEsplanadeLakes EntranceVic 3909Ph: (03)51551966Bairnsdale VisitorInformation Centre240MainStreetBairnsdaleVic 3875Ph: (03)51523444Caringforthe environment Helpus look afteryourpark by followingtheseguidelines: PleaseDONOT FEEDthe kangaroos andotherwildlifeas this canspreaddiseasePets arenot permitted Rubbishshouldbeplacedinthebins provided Lightfires onlyinfireplaces providedandneverondaysof TotalFireBan(East Gippsland District).Nofirepots allowed. Respect speedrules andNoParkingsigns Bicyclehelmets must beworn by cyclists inthereserve Pleasedonot attachropes or campingequipmenttoanyof thetreeswithinthereserve Cavedecorations shouldnot be touchedorinterferedwithWarningsBuchanCaves Reserveis inthe East GippslandTotalFireBan District. Itis yourresponsibility toknowifit is aday of Total FireBan.If indoubt callthe VictorianBushfireInformationLine: 1800240667.InterpretedwalkingtracksFJWilsonWalk (1 hours,2 kmreturn)Thiswalkstartsabout100meastoftheVisitor Centre following the RoyalCave exittrackand endsnear the FairyCave entrance.Fromhere you can returnalong themainroad throughthe reserve.Numbered posts along the walkrefertopointsfeatured in thisparknote.WhowasFJWilson?BeforecomingtoBuchan in 1907FrederickWilson spentmostofhiscareer working atJenolan Cavesin the Blue Mountains(NSW).He was66 yearsofage when he started workatBuchan.AssupervisorWilson contributedsignificantlytothe developmentofthe Reserve.1.DiscoveringstreampassagesBehind thisentranceashorttunnelleadstotheFederal Cave,an oldtouristcave.Itismore than 400mlong and containsverywhite and strikinglybeautifulformations. Discovered byFrederickWilson andWilliamBonwickin 1915,thecave wasopened tovisitorsin 1917.Wilson andBonwickdiscovered FederalCave by following a streampassageleading fromthe Royal Cave.This streampassage passesthrough FairyCave, RoyalCave,FederalCave and DukesCave,ending its journeyattheswimmingpool.Until1970FederalCave waslitbypower generated here attheReserve.Whenelectricitywasconnectedto Fairyand RoyalCaves,FederalCave wasclosedand sealed off.InterestinFederalCave hasgrown in recenttimesandit isnowavailable forspecialisedtoursduring Christmas and Easterschoolholidays.In 2007 a lowvoltage lightingsystempowered bysolar energywasintroduced into theFederalCave bythe FriendsofBuchan Caves.2.Limestone at BuchanThe limestoneatBuchan formed about380million years ago under veryshallowseascoveringmuchofEast Gippsland.Alaterperiod ofmovementofthe earth’s crustraised thisarea above sealevel.Limestoneisa rockthatcontainsmorethan 50%calciumcarbonate, which isusuallypresentasthemineralcalcite.The skeletonsofmostmarine animalswhich lack backbones,such ascorals,starfish,sea urchinsand shellsaremade up ofcalciumcarbonate.Some algaeBefirereadyandstaysafe:can also producecalciumcarbonate.The limestone here iscomposed ofdarkgrey limemud through which is scattered numerousfossils.Lookatthesmallgroovesinthisrock,called ‘Rillenkarren’or‘Solution Flutes’.Theyare formed by rainwater draining across the rock,gentlydissolving the limestone.Astimegoesby,the groovesbecome deeper.3.HiddenfossilsThe RoyalCavestour ends here.Although RoyalCave wasdiscovered in1910,thisartificialexittunnelwasn’t completed until1929.Lookforfossilsinthelimestone wallbuiltaround the exit.4.NaturalstepsNotice herehowthe stepshave beenmade fromthe layersoflimestone.These layersare known as‘bedding planes’.Verticaljointlinesacrossthe bedding planes allow water toseep throughthe rockfromthesurface, and over timethiswater actionslowlydissolvesthe limestone.Thisis howcave developmentbegins.Goodsexamples offossilisedcoraland brachiopodscan befound hereinthe rock.5.Shh...what canyouhear?Fromhere,take amomenttostopand listenfor the Lyrebirdsand BellMiners.Did youknowthatthe Lyrebird can perfectlyimitate justaboutany soundit hears?Fromhere you headtowardsthe FairyCave entranceand down the stepsbacktothemain road.Onyour way backtotheVisitorCentre take your timetolookatthe manyornamentaltrees plantedinthe Reservesincethe 1930s.WildlifeTheReserveisalsoawildliferefuge.Animallifeis abundantwithover100speciesofbirdshavingbeenrecorded,includingKingParrots,WhiteWingedChoughsandCurrawongswhichcanbe seenaroundthecamparea.ListenfortheBellbirds andLyrebirdsneartheFairyCaveentrance. Kangaroosareplentiful,butpleasedonotfeedor disturbthem.Atnightthecampgroundcomesalive withBrush-tailedPossumsandsometimesthecalls ofBoobookOwls.ParkclosuresBepreparedtoleaveearlyas extremeweathermaycausethe closureof somepark areas forHealthyParksHealthyPeopleVisiting a park can improve your health, mind, body and soul. So, with over four million hectares of parkland available to Victorians, why not escapeto a park today!Manyparksandforestsare located in highfire riskareas.OndaysofforecastCode RedFire Danger thisparkwill be closedfor publicsafety.Ifyouare alreadyin the parkyoushouldleave the nightbefore or earlyin themorning for your own safety.Closuresignswillbe erected andrangerswillpatrolwhere possible,howeveryoumaynot receive a personalwarning thatthe parkisclosedsocheckthelatestconditionsbycalling13 1963 or visit: www.parks.vic.gov.au.For upto date information onfiresinVictoriaor generalfiresafetyadvicecallthe Victorian Bushfire Information Line on1800240 667.August2012 Printed on100%recycledpaper