Sunday 14th January 2024

Mike Kushy and Dave Morrison to start with. A big cementing session with 3 bags worth of sand, building up to the ceiling and propping natural pillars. DM left around 1.30 and John.Cooper arrived not long after. JC helped with the final cement buckets. After all cementing done MK worked on widening the bedding wall of the rift where we propose to dig down next. Should be safe to move/break boulders in the floor now. Unusual draught, air from outside being dragged into the dig, hitting the bedding passage which draughted outwards, then the draught got dragged into a void in the floor. 5 hours. Mike.

MK's YouTube Video from today

Draught cycle. Photo MK.

After plug and feathering and cementing. Photo MK.

Looking into the rift, under where we've cemented
(the top void is sucking away all the drill dust). Photo MK.

Saturday 13th January 2024

John Cooper, Billy Evans, Damon Fentham, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Billy, Damon and Jude loading spoil. John and Adrian hauling. All spoil removed BUT Damon then moved another few rocks up the bedding. 1 hour.John.

Wednesday 10th January 2024

Mike Kushy, solo trip. Again breaking up more rock and making things more comfortable. Then finished off clearing the rift some more, sat in the rift working back under the step down. I think the best place to go down is immediately at the step down. Very good draught again. Came out to meet Tuska wall building and John popping over. Too cold to make a mix. 2 1/2 hours. Mike.

Looking horizontally into the dug out rift, heading back up cave. Crowbar is 18inch. Photo MK.

Tuesday 9th January 2024

Mike Kushy, solo trip. Downsizing rock and clearing out the rift at the bottom, trying to figure out best way on down. Really cold outside and cold air being dragged into the dig and dragged into the on going bedding at the bottom. 1 1/2 hours. Mike.

Monday 1st January 2024

Started with Mike Kushy, John Cooper and Dave Morrison. MK went to bucket fill the spoil in the horizontal tunnel with JC and DM on surface. After half hour or so Monica Bollani showed up. With MB and DM on surface, JC took over the bucket filling and MK went to the dig face to break up the big boulders above the rift. After a while MK moved up cave and cleared out behind the retaining wall, passing smaller buckets and rocks up to JC. MB left after a couple of hours. After this, time was spent downsizing a large boulder at the bottom of the step down. JC came down to inspect the lower chamber and we both agreed after a good cementing session we can look at opening up the step down to make a straighter pull to surface, JC also agreed it's worth pushing the rift at the bottom of the slope. Good draught coming out at the end once the big boulder was removed. The rift at the bottom has a lot of loose clatch to come out. Could potentially be done with 3, a rope would be needed to pull buckets up the slope at the bottom though. Probably over a ton of spoil taken to surface today. Came up to a poly fram that had been constructed by DM, ready for the shelter covering. 4 hours. Mike.