Adrenaline adventure in the Jenolan Caves
By: Lisa Wolff, Yahoo!7 Travel

I adjusted my hard hat and harness and abseiled down the cliff face. It wasn't a very long descent but I still could feel my heart thumping as my feet danced against the rock. I followed the group through an opening and then...darkness. I flicked on my head lamp. The soft yellow light revealed a humungous cavern. With a shiver of thrill, I knew that this was the real Jenolan.

When I told my mates that I was spending the night at Jenolan Caves, most of them answered with a "oh, I've been there...when I was very young". It seems to be one of those Aussie icons that people visit as kids and only return when they've got their own brood to entertain.

But Jenolan has entered into a new era of adventure. Sure, there's still the popular tours - which take busloads of tourists "oohing and aahing" along easily accessible paths through the main caves. The talented engineers have assembled strategic lighting that makes the stalactites and mites sparkle.

Music and magic
The caves have gone high-tech with glorious sound and light shows in the Temple of Baal and Orient Caves. Even the obnoxious teenage boys on our tour were mesmerised into silence as the cavern was filled with rousing classical music and the light touched the spectacular formations in turn. There was the delicate Angel wing and high above stood the diminutive Baal watching over us.

Each cave tour offers a different kind of beauty but it's all on a strictly 'no-touch' basis (the oils on our skin make the formations dull and dark). So if you want a more tactile encounter and a chance to experience the caves as the first explorers did in late 1800's, then the adventure series is for you.

Adrenaline caving
We opted for the plughole tour. This may regarded as an introduction to adventure caving but for someone like me who was once paralysed at the thought of stepping on a down escalator, I knew this would present plenty of challenge. By the time I hauled on all my equipment, blue overhauls and headlamp, I looked the part. I just wish I felt it too. It took all manners of pep talks before I put my faith in the harness and abseiled 10 metres down the rock face. Oh, that was easy, I thought, once I had my feet safely on firm ground.

We stepped into the darkness of the Elder Cave, just like the adventurous cave explorers did 150 years before us. They had left their mark with signatures scribbled on the rock wall. The only difference is that they only had fragile candle light to show the way. "Turn off your light", our veteran guide, Barry asked. Within moments, we were plunged into a claustrophobic blacker than black darkness. I couldn't even make out my hand in front of my face "This is how things would have looked down here if a candle had gone out," Barry said. "You pretty much were stuck in here until someone came to find you". Thank goodness for the glory of the electric globe.

Squeezing through tiny spaces
For the next hour and a half, we scrambled through cave openings, sometimes crawling on our knees or slithering on our tummies. There were one or two moments when I looked at guide in disbelief. "You want me to contort my way through that?" It was a tiny slit in the rock and we were expected to post ourselves feet first into seemingly nothingness. Fortunately, the guides were always on hand to give some navigational tips. After surviving each adrenaline-filled obstacle unscathed, I felt I could conquer the world, or at least escalators would never be a problem again.

As we emerged into the brightly lit Imperial Cave, the group touring at the time looked at us wide eyed with admiration and with obvious envy. They were just tourists. We were the real deal.

Visit Jenolan Caves How to get there: Jenolan Caves is a two and a half hour drive from Sydney. The last few kilometres are windy so drive carefully. Where to stay: While the Jenolan complex is a popular day tour, it's even better if you stay over. It's when darkness falls and the Shakespearean-styled Caves House is lit up that you really feel that you've entered a magical world. There are a number of options within the village, ranging from the suites in the historic manor house to economical self-contained cottages. What to eat: There aren't too many options when it comes to meals within the village. Chisolms Dining Room offers simple home-style country cooking or there's Trails Bistro for pub-style lunches. I'm a bit of a foodie so I would love for Jenolan to add a more modern slant to their cuisine. If they could become recognised as a gourmet destination, then I'd definitely visit more often. Are there any free activities? Yes, there are some magnificent bush walks in the area, including the magical Emerald River walk which you can enjoy by yourself. What about the Caves: There are currently 11 cave tours on offer along with the 5 adventure caving tours. Most of the tours are family friendly with handrails, easy paths and lighting to mesmerise all visitors. My favourite was the River Cave with its eerily aqua water glimmering in the shadows. The temple of Baal with its high-tech sound and light show is definitely not to be missed. Of course, there's also the ghost tour which is a must-do tour if you're staying over in the village (see box on the right column) And the Adventure Caving: If you've seen the show caves and now are looking for a more hands-on experience, then the adventure tours are for you. Because each group is small (maximum of between 10 and 12), you get more personalised attention and a chance to be "one with the rock" and the spectacular formations Start with the Plug Hole Cave ($60 per person) and then give the Aladdin Cave ($65 per person) a try. There's also the Mammoth Cave ($160 per person) which is a 6 hour tour and requires extensive climbing. You don't need to be fit to tackle these caves - although a certain amount of flexibility can come into use. Minimum age limit varies from 10 - 16 years old, depending on the difficultly level of the adventure. Check out the jenolan caves website for a cave tour timetable.