farmdoc's blog post number 387

I’ve previously twice mentioned [1,2] Gilbert & Sullivan’s marvellous operetta The Pirates of Penzance. The denouement occurs early in Act II when it’s revealed our hero Frederic was born on 29 February. A most ingenious paradox. Here in Mole Creek we have one too. Mole Creek’s a limestone/karst region [1], limestone’s calcium carbonate which is alkali, yet our soil’s acidic. I’m sure there’s a ready explanation of this paradox. But I don’t know what it is. Anyway in recent years our soil’s become more and more acidic. Increased bracken fern (a native of Tasmania) is the tell. Also the New Zealand native weed bidgees (aka bidgee-widgees) which stick in wool and reduce its price. So last Friday a big truck spread 30.58 tonnes of crushed dolomite lime (named after the northern Italian Dolomite Alps which in turn were named after the 18th Century French mineralogist Deodat Gratet de Dolomieu who was the first to describe the rock dolomite – which is garden lime with a higher percentage of magnesium) on our paddocks. That’s about a tonne to the acre. It’s not cheap. Per tonne the Dolomite cost us A$44 and the spreading A$13.20, making a total of A$1,749. That’s our biggest farm expense. By far. Yesterday it rained to the tune of 4.6mm. That should start to wash the dolomite in nicely.

farmdoc's blog post number 213

The German word karst refers to a combination of characteristic landforms and drainage features resulting from underground water dissolving limestone bedrock. The most well-known result is karst caves. The Mole Creek district is a spectacularly scenic area set on a karst belt measuring some 26km east-west by up to 10km north-south. The Mole Creek karst system is categorised as an extensive, high rainfall, glaciated, upland system developed in Ordovician limestone (which is 400-500 million years old). It’s internationally recognised as the richest karst system in Australia in terms of major, highly decorated caves. Whilst the Mole Creek system contains over 200 caves (of which six or so are on our property), only two are show caves, i.e. developed as tourist attractions and open to the public. These are Marakoopa Cave and King Solomon Cave. The latter, one of Australia’s finest show caves, was first discovered in 1906, and officially opened on 31 October 1908. To celebrate this centenary, on Saturday 9 November 2008 the guided cave tours were free, and guides dressed in period costume. Of course 100 years is nothing compared with 400-500 million years. I can’t really grasp the concept of a time period that long. It sure humbles the soul. I feel privileged to live in such an ancient and beautiful part of the world.