Stefan Eberhard, Weebubbie Cave, Nullarbor Plain (LANDSCAPE 2025)

Beneath the surface of the Nullarbor Plain there is a vast, salty, limestone aquifer which drains into the Southern Ocean through an immense and intricate cave system which carries crystal-clear groundwater hundreds of kilometres from the northern inland margin of the limestone plateau all the way to the coastline where it discharges into the ocean in the Great Australian Bight. The beautiful cave lake in this photograph is a rare window into a 400m long segment of this immense cave drainage system, offering a tiny glimpse into a world otherwise completely hidden from view ~ 90 meters beneath the surface of the Plain. This stunningly beautiful cave of undoubted World Heritage quality lies only a few kilometres away from a proposed colossal hydrogen / ammonia production plant and storage facility. Because of the highly porous and cavernous nature of the Nullarbor limestones, the Nullarbor aquifer and its unique life forms are highly vulnerable to contamination.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.