Wonder Cave

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Stalactites in Wonder Cave
Visitors to the Wonder Cave (around 1880)

The Wonder Cave is the third largest cave in South Africa . It is located near Kromdraai , northwest of Johannesburg , in the Gauteng province . It belongs to UNESCO - World Heritage Cradle of Humankind .

Their age is estimated to be 1.5 million years. It consists of a single cave 125 meters long and 154 meters wide, which is up to 60 meters deep. The maximum ceiling height is around 15 meters. The cave is accessible via a staircase in an entry shaft.

After their discovery at the end of the 19th century, the stalactites were largely dismantled for the extraction of quick lime . The mining stopped with the beginning of the Second Boer War and was not resumed afterwards.

The cave is accessible to visitors as part of guided tours. The entrance is at the visitor center of the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve , about 2.5 kilometers outside of Kromdraai.

See also

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Coordinates: 25 ° 58 ′ 12 ″  S , 27 ° 46 ′ 17 ″  E