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KANAWINKA GEOPARK |
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The Geology that forms the Landscape, Culture and Communities of South Western Victoria and South Eastern South Australia |
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Australia's first National Geopark |
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South Western Victoria and South Eastern South Australia |
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Not just Volcanics but also grasslands, lakes, caves, wetlands, homesteads, gardens, heritage, history and exploration, stone walls, soldier settlement and much more…….. |
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Australia may be referred to as a relatively young nation, but the well preserved ancient landscape provides many precious windows into the past. The Volcanoes Discovery Trail takes you on a surprising journey through this amazing landscape, enabling visitors to travel back in time over thousands and thousands of years. The surface geology of western Victoria and south-eastern Australia is a striking contrast of sweeping plains and spectacular mountains which are largely the product of volcanic activity. In fact, with six sites of international significance and 14 of national significance, this area is Australia’s most extensive volcanic province. The history of these geological masterpieces stretches back to the Tertiary and Quaternary eras, when great outpourings of volcanic material through vents took place. Lava flows spread evenly across the existing plains, followed valleys, flowed under water, and in some cases forced upwards into rough, stony hills called tumuli, or steeper scoria cones. In total, the flows cover an area of some 26,000 square km, extending north to the hills beyond Ballarat, and reappearing in a small section of southeastern South Australia. This area is known as the Newer Volcanics Province, and features nearly 400 individual eruption points, most of which occurred between 4.5 and 2 million years ago. Many of the eruptions were witnessed by the indigenous peoples of the area who have inhabited this region for up to 45,000 years, and feature prominently in stories of the dreamtime. Aboriginal people also made use of the stones from the lava flow to construct channels linking the wetlands, weirs, fish-traps, wind breaks and stone huts, and excellent examples created by the Gunditjmara people can be found around western Victoria’s Lake Condah region in particular. Later, during the 1870s and 80s, European settlers utilised the volcanic stone cleared from the land to construct dry stone walls in order to grow crops and introduce stock. Many examples can be found surrounding Corangamite on the Dry Stone Walls Heritage Trail. The region’s spectacular and intriguing volcanic landscape also offers a range of other visitor experiences, from a 45-minute tour to the surface of Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake, to the grueling trek up Mount Schank and down to the crater floor. For more information contact either in Victoria 1800 807 056 or South Australia 1800 087 187 |
