Atribute to the unique sinkholes and landscapes of the Limestone Coast will be screened at Mount Gambier tomorrow evening.
Prominent cave diver Dr Richard Harris OAM is heading to the region to tell the story behind his passion for the Limestone Coast’s world-renowned underwater cave system.
His new documentary ‘My Underwater World’ will be screened at the Oatmill Cinema, as well as at the Naracoorte Town Hall on Thursday evening.
Dr Harris will share intimate behind the scenes insights from his adventures tracing the underground water’s journey from Bordertown to the sea.
“People would drive through the Limestone Coast and have no idea what is beneath their feet – kilometres of some of the most pristine water-filled tunnels in the country,” he said.
“Viewers will be taken back tens of thousands of years inside caves that only highly trained divers can access.
“The Limestone Coast is famed for its food and wine but for me it’s a place of sinkholes, deep caves and millennia-old mysteries, like the bones of megafauna hidden deep within the submerged cave systems.
“It’s one of the premier cave diving locations in the world.
“The opportunity for genuine, original exploration still exists on this planet. By and large the only place to do that is in caves. And that’s what brings me back every time.”
Dr Harris said the region’s caves were windows into the aquifer.
“This whole area is like Swiss cheese. For every entrance, who knows, maybe there are 50 or a hundred different caves we do not know exist. I’m always excited to be diving here. I love this place so much,” he said.
“I want to share with people what it’s like in these underwater worlds. The beauty and fragility of the water systems hidden beneath us.”
Dr Harris is famed for being one of the cave rescuers that led the extraction of 12 Thai soccer students and their teacher from the flooded Tham Luang cave in 2018, which earned him the prestigious accolade Australian of the Year in 2019.
In February this year he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.
Local secondary students will also have the opportunity to meet Dr Harris in person.
Students from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board Youth Environment Council will meet with Dr Harris at Kilsby Sinkhole for an educational session to share their local knowledge on the topic of water.
The council provides opportunities for local secondary students passionate about the environment to explore and learn more about their local landscape working alongside experts from many fields.
Limestone Coast Sustainable Futures Event organiser Dee Nolan said Dr Harris’ documentary gives all the opportunity to experience the extraordinary underwater world previously only seen by a handful of cave divers.
“My Underwater World is an unforgettable and deeply personal tribute to the unique sinkholes and landscape of the Limestone Coast,” she said.
“Watching it is a reminder that no matter where else we travel, we actually live in one of the most beautiful and pristine places on the planet, and that we must do everything we can to protect our natural resources for future generations.
“This is a view held strong by our advocacy group.”
The documentary has also put the Limestone Coast in the national spotlight when it was premiered on national television in July.
Both charity screenings start at 7pm with proceeds donated to Operation Flinders Foundation.
For more information or to book tickets Visit www.trybooking.com/book/search?keyword=my%20underwater%20world&location=&date= for more information or to book tickets.
