In 1862, a young man called Boxall used four long saplings, a rope and a candle to explore a deep chasm out in the bushland of southeast NSW. The rubbly bottom he eventually landed on was 96 metres from the surface. Onlookers were all shaking their heads at his reckless behaviour but also itching to know what he’d found down there inside what is now known as The Big Hole.
Thought to be around 400 million years in the making, this is an extraordinary limestone marvel; a roofless cave which is over 100 metres deep and 50 metres wide. It can be reached by walking from Berlang campground, wading across Shoalhaven River, then continuing through dry eucalypt forest and unique nana heath, with expansive views of the park on your journey. The vast open chasm can be viewed from the lookout and, if you’re there in the early morning or late afternoon, you may see its resident lyrebird come out from its ferny grotto to feed.
