12. ENEABBA

12.1. History.

This area extends from the Green Head Road in the south to the Irwin River in the north. The area first received attention from speleologists when W.A.S.G. explored River and Arramall Caves in 1960.

In 1963, Jennings visited the Stockyard Gully caves. On this trip E 1 to E 10 were described and positioned. Of these, Stockyard Bridge, Stockyard Tunnel and Stockyard Cave, together with Aiyennu Cave and Beekeepers Hole were the most significant.

In 1969, D.C. & J.W.J Lowry squeezed through a rockfall in Weelawadji Cave and added 1700 m of passageway to the known 300 m of cave (Lowry 1969). Since this discovery, only the extension of Beekeepers Hole (also known as Uniwa Cave) to 1.4km from 250m has been the major find in this area.

12.2. Geomorphology.

The limestone of this area is an older aeolian calcarenite than that of the south-west.

The Stockyard System is formed by the Stockyard River which flows almost all of the year. The gorges between Stockyard Bridge and Stockyard Cave are explained by cave roof collapse (Jennings, 1971: 100). The actual cave is prone to flooding as evidenced by the large logs jammed high in the roof and the mud levels above the logs. Classic karst pavements are typified by Aiyennu Cave (Caffyn, 1973) where the calcarenite has collapsed, resulting in soil subsidence, leaving the kankar peppered with solution pipes.

The overflow of Lake Arramall has formed the two major systems of River and Arramall Caves. Arramall Cave contains the largest chambers which are the result of roof collapses. River Cave contains basic phreatic passageways which finally bifurcate and choke off with mud.

The Weelawadji system contains abandoned stream passages of varying dimensions from the 35 m wide entrance chamber to the small 4 m wide phreatic tubes some 500 m into the cave. The whereabouts of the stream which formed the cave is not obvious although it was thought to be part of the Arrowsmith River system.(Lowry, D.C., pers. comm.) Cave minerals collected from the Eneabba area are Brushite and Gypsum from Weelawadji Cave and these samples are held by Government Chemical Laboratories.

12.2.1. Stockyard Tunnel E 1.

The cave is approximately 200 m long, requiring no gear and can be completed at a leisurely walk. Its main features are its size and the meandering of the stream. Bats may or may not be present.

12.2.2. Stockyard Bridge E 2.

A bridge between E 1 and E 3. The stream flows beneath a large rockfall. Swallows flying under the bridge are common, many of them nesting in the solution pipes of the roof. The entrances to the Bridge are also home to a number of feral bee hives.

12.2.3. Stockyard Cave E 3.

The cave is approximately 800 m long with large chambers being its main feature. The mud coating on most blocks make for interesting sliding while trying to move along the streamway. Bats are sometimes present. Here is a photograph of the entrance looking out into the doline. Yes that tree is in the doline!

Photo is a 33Kb JPG

12.2.4. Aiyennu Cave E 9.

Forty metres of ladder and/or rope are required on the entrance pitch. Of the 100 or so entrances, the largest one on the southern side of the karst pavement is usually used. The nearest tie off is a "twig" some 10 m from this entrance. If SRT is used, some protection is required at the lip. The rockpile below the entrances dips to the north and south where the stream is sighted, but sumps after a short distance.

12.2.5. Arramall Cave E 22.

This system extends for 1.8 km as mapped by P. Caffyn in 1973. (Rauleigh Webb and helpers resurveyed the cave to 1,975m the map was drawn by Barry Loveday, copy held in the WASG Map library) The main trend is mainly walking passages over breakdown. At one point the cave passes beneath the Brand Highway and vehicle noises can be heard. This cave floods very infrequently as a very large rain is needed to flood Lake Arramall.

12.2.6. River Cave E 23.

The cave was mapped by ASF cavers following an ASF conference in Western Australia. It is just over 500m in length. Very little roof collapse has occurred in the cave and hence the phreatic passages are easy to move in with the flat sandy floor being traversed mainly at a stoop. The end of the cave is a number of small phreatic tubes which choke off with mud.

12.2.7. Weelawadji Cave E 24.

A large circular collapse doline heralds the entrance to the largest known chamber in the Eneabba area. From here the passages beyond are developed with some form of structural control with rockfalls at intersections. This cave is locked at the end of the entrance chamber to protect the cave fauna, the good secondary calcite deposits and the untouched guano piles. Also as this system is no longer active, it is very delicate.

12.3. Fauna.

A large amount of collecting has been done by J.W.J. Lowry in the Eneabba area. She kindly prepared Table 1 which indicates some of the fauna found in Arramall, River, Weelawadji and the Stockyard Gully Caves.

TABLE 1 - Occurrence of selected fauna in the Eneabba Caves
(E 1-3) Arramall Cave (E 22) River Cave (E 23)and Weelawadji Cave (E 24)
Species Common name E1-3 E22 E23 E24 Comments

Baiami
volucripes Spider ? x x x Other species occur
including one blind species
in E22 & E24.

Protochelifera
cavernarum Pseudoscorpion x x x x Associated with guano.
There are other small
species.

Laevophiloscia
yalgoonensis
Vandel 1973 Wood louse,
pill bug,
slater x x x x Also tiny blind troglobitic
isopods in E22 & E23.

Laevophiloscia
unidentata
Vandel 1973 x x x x

Laevophiloscia
richardsae
Vandel 1973 x x x x There are several other
species in all caves.

Scutigeridae
(Family) Centipede x x E 22 has a species with
red legs and yellow spotted
body in twilight zone
and a blind species (different)
in the dark zone (identified as
Allothereua lesueurii by WAM staff)
(very rare).

Collembola
(Class) Springtails x x x x

Lecanomerus
flavocinctus Beetle x x x x Abundantly established in E1-3.

Pseudoceneus
sollicitus Beetle x

Tripectenopus
occultatus
Britton 1974 Beetle x Blind but pigmented. Has
not been found alive
since 1969 - could be extinct
or very rare.

Shawella
douglasi Cockroach x x Reduced eyes and pigment.
Unidentified blind species,
eyes present but white,
in E22 & E23.

Apis
mellifera Honey bee x x E24 - very ferocious
(1974, 1978). E1-3 not
active 1974.

Litoria
moorei Frog x Other species in E 3, E 24.

Hirundo
neoxena Welcome
swallow x x x x Important togloxexe at entrances.

Chalinolobus
morio Chocolate
bat x x

Chalinolobus
gouldii x Not known from any
other cave sites

Eptisicus
pumilus Little
bat x Occasionally seen.

Macroderma
gigas Ghost
bat Locally
extinct Many piles of fossil
guano in E24 and possibly
in E22.

Species	Common name	E1-3	E22	E23	E24	Comments
Baiami volucripes	Spider	?	x	x	x	Other species occur including one blind species in E22 & E24.
Protochelifera cavernarum	Pseudoscorpion	x	x	x	x	Associated with guano. There are other small species.
Laevophiloscia yalgoonensis Vandel 1973	Wood louse, pill bug, slater	x	x	x	x	Also tiny blind troglobitic isopods in E22 & E23.
Laevophiloscia unidentata Vandel 1973		x	x	x	x
Laevophiloscia richardsae Vandel 1973		x	x	x	x	There are several other species in all caves.
Scutigeridae (Family)	Centipede		x		x	E 22 has a species with red legs and yellow spotted body in twilight zone and a blind species (different) in the dark zone (identified as Allothereua lesueurii by WAM staff) (very rare).
Collembola (Class)	Springtails	x	x	x	x
Lecanomerus flavocinctus	Beetle	x	x	x	x	Abundantly established in E1-3.
Pseudoceneus sollicitus	Beetle	x
Tripectenopus occultatus Britton 1974	Beetle		x			Blind but pigmented. Has not been found alive since 1969 - could be extinct or very rare.
Shawella douglasi	Cockroach	x			x	Reduced eyes and pigment. Unidentified blind species, eyes present but white, in E22 & E23.
Apis mellifera	Honey bee	x			x	E24 - very ferocious (1974, 1978). E1-3 not active 1974.
Litoria moorei	Frog		x			Other species in E 3, E 24.
Hirundo neoxena	Welcome swallow	x	x	x	x	Important togloxexe at entrances.
Chalinolobus morio	Chocolate bat	x			x
Chalinolobus gouldii					x	Not known from any other cave sites
Eptisicus pumilus	Little bat				x	Occasionally seen.
Macroderma gigas	Ghost bat		Locally extinct			Many piles of fossil guano in E24 and possibly in E22.