15 years and counting...

In 1995 a small group of Singaporean soldiers tiptoed their way coyly through the Capricorn Caves as a novel way of relaxing after completing a three week deployment in the land of Oz.

Now some 15 years later a day trip through our limestone playground almost a rite of passage for the Singaporean military, with thousands choosing to spend their few leisurely hours relaxing underground.

Indeed 2010 has seen 650 so far enjoy the wonders of the Cathedral and co. with a further thousand more expected before year's end.

And it's no surprise that owner Ann Augusteyn couldn't be happier.

"We are the only operator in Queensland that the Singaporean military choose to visit consistently every year," she said.

"It really says a lot about the quality of our staff and our facilities."

"They really enjoy coming here to see the majesty of the caves and it is truly a joy to have them and we hope to see them for many more years to come!"

FYI

Conscription in Singapore, called National Service (NS), requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enroll in the military. They serve a two-year period as Full Time National Servicemen (NSFS), either in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
When a conscript completes his full-time service, he is considered to be "operationally ready", and is thereafter known as an Operationally-Ready National Serviceman.
Op Ready National Servicemen are the equivalent of other militaries' reservists.
Each year, Op ready National Service men go through either a high-key training or a low-key training until they reach the age of 40 or 50, depending on their rank.
Singapore is currently among a list of countries with the longest military service exceeding 18 months, just behind Israel and South Korea.

The Caves Harness The Sun!

As the mercury rises and summer in the southern hemisphere descends, a spectacle unlike any other is brewing deep beneath the red Central Queensland soil.

And for a few select weeks every year staff at the Capricorn Caves perform the seemingly impossible... and harness the sun!

In times of old, the summer solstice - when the sun comes literally to a standstill in the sky - was a time for great celebration and though the times have changed, the festivities remain and the Caves plays host to one of the best.

Due to the Caves' location on the Tropic of Capricorn, the heaven's literally shine a light on one of Capricorn's biggest limestone chambers, 'The Belfry' from December to mid January.

Under a burning solstice sun, a brilliant sunbeam filters down through a vertical 14ft shaft , piercing the darkness below.

Much to the delight of the thousands that flock to the Caves each year, eager guides have indeed learned how to capture the power and intensity of this rare phenomenon, using mirrored balls and brightly coloured materials to illuminate the cave in a way rarely thought possible.

A sight that truly has to be seen to be believed!