Enter the Secret Cave Seen by Fewer People Than Have Walked on the Moon | ABC Australia (AU) | 01KZESKBQ6FV9VEE0N37STPRJG

Deep beneath the rolling green hills of Victoria's East Gippsland region lies Elk River, a vast limestone cave system carved by underground waterways over more than 350 million years. For a small band of dedicated explorers, this hidden world represents the last frontier of true discovery, offering the profound feeling of finding passages no one has ever seen before.

Discovered by chance in 2006, the Elk River system has captivated explorers for two decades. It is a labyrinth of dry and submerged chambers, with some caverns soaring like cathedral vaults and others requiring scuba diving equipment to traverse. So far, 3.13 kilometers of the cave have been explored, making it one of Victoria's longest. At a depth of 135 meters, it is also among the state's deepest.

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There is no greater feeling in the world than finding passage that no-one ever in the history of the world has seen before.

The discovery of Elk River resolved century-old mysteries about the region's hydrology and geology. Experienced cavers are guiding visitors into the system, often via its original, concealed entrance, a tunnel in a paddock rarely used for nearly 20 years. This particular section of the cave, in terms of human visitation, is estimated to have been seen by fewer people than have walked on the moon, a mere 12 humans to date.

Stephen Fordyce, a key exploration diver in the Elk River project and the only person to have reached its furthest known point, lives for the thrill of pushing the limits of human exploration. Each expedition, despite meticulous planning, carries inherent risks, but the pursuit of discovery and the potential to leave a legacy of knowledge drives these adventurers to continue their work in the darkness.

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probably still in the category of less people than have walked on the moon