During our visit to Lightning Ridge we went under ground twice. On the first occasion we had to descend 113 steps down a circular and metal stair-case - there aren't any lifts in these mines! The shafts are mostly circular because that shapes is regarded as most stable. Amazingly, these circular shafts often do not even have a ladder - merely hand-holds to haul the miners up and down.
However, the second shaft here is more square and has a ladder to the top.
The underground tunnels are mostly square and excavated by drills like the one I'm holding here.
Occasionally, the mines have narrow apertures through which miners squeeze ... like this one here. It's rather claustrophobic and I'm clearly not cut out for the job.
And here are the three intrepid explorers!
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