Gosang's Tunnel - Currarong, NSW
Posted by: Tuena
S 35° 00.497 E 150° 50.744
56H E 303423 N 6123918
Gosang's Tunnel is an unusual natural formation located within the sedimentary sandstone structures of the Beecroft Peninsula near Currarong.
Waymark Code: WMYB44
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 05/23/2018
Views: 2
Gosang's Tunnel, a Littoral tunnel, was formed by wave action in a zone of weakness in the sea cliffs. These cliffs formed during the Permian Period (250 - 300 million years ago) when the present landforms were a few hundred metres to several kilometres out to sea. During this period marine sediments formed here. The cliffs today exhibit horizontal strata of mudstone & sandstone layers with a thick capstone of sandstone.
The weakness that saw the formation of Gosang's Tunnel is still present today. The weakness is a fracture line along the floor of the tunnel. The ocean exploited this weakness in the rocks and the tunnel is likely to continue growing over time. The ocean is now far below the tunnel but wind & chemical erosion continues. Chemical erosion is evident with water dripping down from the ceiling & wind erosion can be appreciated as you traverse the tunnel. The wind blowing from the ocean increases in speed as it travels through the tunnel due to compression (3 metre ceiling down to 1 metre quite quickly) & as it exits the tunnel, you may view a fine mist.
The tunnel is about 30 metres long & between 1 metre & 3 metres high. You need to either crab walk or get down on all fours to get through. It is only as you near the seaward side that the ceiling allows you stand up. The crack in the floor widens as it nears the ocean so you must be very careful. A long step will get you over it & from there you have stunning ocean & land views.
The tunnel, cliffs and the crack are not fenced so this location is not recommended for young children. Older children should be closely supervised.
It is about a 2 kilometre walk along well formed tracks from the parking area to the tunnel entrance.
Credit: Gosang's Geological Time Tunnel Earthcache (
visit link) by Bonfire7 & Australian National University Science, Health & Medicine article author Jesse Zondervan.