Geology Part 2 – Stories from the Great Southern Road Trip

Geology Nerd – Part 2 – Tasmania

This post is the second of a two part series about some of the geology and geological formations I encountered on my recent road trip across the south-east of Australia. Part 1 included those features seen in NSW. After scooting through Victoria as quick as I could because of concerns related to a five day COVID lock down I boarded the Spirit of Tasmania with my trusty Suby and all my camping gear.

Once off the ferry, it didn’t take long before I started to see some interesting things rock-wise. The descriptions are listed in the order I visited them.

Do rivers count as geology?

The first thing to catch my eye while driving from Devonport to Launceston was the Rubicon River. I’m not really sure if riverine vegetation counts as geology but what the heck! The islands of grass made sinuous patterns in the slow-flowing water. After a little investigation, it seems that these clumps of grass are in fact an invasive species called rice grass. There is a federally funded program to help eradicate it.

Geology - Islands of grass in the Rubicon River Tasmania — Rubicon River – Islands of Grass.

Bakers Beach – Narawantapu National Park

My first glimpse of Tasmania’s famous orange boulders was on a grey day. A fine mist of drizzle was fogging up my lens. The rocks are orange because they are clothed in red-orange fuzz formed by the symbiotic relationship between lichen and fungi. The boulders are granite and their smooth rounded shapes are easy to scramble over. There were orange rocks at almost every beach I visited. The shape and size of the boulders and the size of their crystals varied a lot but the colours remained fairly consistent.

Orange granit boulders next to blue water — Bakers Beach my first glimpse of the ubiquitous orange rocks of Tassie.

Cradle Mountain National Park

While there are no glaciers in Australia these days there is plenty of evidence of their existence in the Cradle Mountain National Park. This area is spectacular, with large outcrops of granite-like dolerite. The craggy, jagged peaks make excellent photographic subjects and the area is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Tasmania. There are lots of walks in the area from short strolls to the arduous 6 day Overland Track. If you are not up for this long walk there is a 13 km Cradle Mountain Summit Walk.

The solid geology of Cradle Mountain has been described by many! This snippet is from a detailed report by I R Jennings. I could not find a date for the actual publication but the date on a map says November 1958. If you’d like more detail it’s an easy read despite the length.

Barn Bluff, although looking very much like a volcanic plug is the result of extensive weathering of the dolerite intrusions.

Geology Bonanza! Flinders Island

What a treat Flinders Island is! A feast of geology and all on a very small plate as it were. I spent four days on Flinders and I am so glad I did. There is a geotrail! Imagine me doing a merry little dance and clapping my hands when I saw the first sign! I really recommend having a look at the website before you visit. Also, see my previous post about my visit.

Choose from red lichen coated rocks, massive boulders in the middle of paddocks, a summit climb, pegmatites and more! There’s topaz for those who like to fossick, plenty of sandy beaches and shallow coastal lagoons. Sigh!

The thing that got me really excited were the pegmatites (really really big crystals) at Killecrankie on the northern end of the island. How big? BIG! For reference, I included an Australian 50 cent coin that has a diameter of 31 mm. Super big crystals of course mean super slow cooling of the molten lava below the surface.

Marakoopa and King Solomon Caves – Mole Creek

The Mole Creek Karst Conservation Area has hundreds of caves. Some are open to the general public and others are open only to experienced spelunkers. When you book they tell you to dress warmly and you should! The caves stay at a steady 9^oC throughout the year. I did a tour of both Marakoopa and King Solomon Caves. Marakoopa has an underground creek and glow worms while King Solomon’s Cave has larger caverns. “Discovered” by Europeans in the mid-1800s it has been a popular tourist destination ever since. The cave tours are led by interesting guides. Due to COVID restrictions, the numbers were very low which, in my opinion, enhanced the experience. You’ll need a camera with an adjustable ISO because flash photography is not permitted.

Alum Cliffs

Always on the look out for a good walk, long or short – I stopped to check out Alum Cliffs. It’s included in Tasmania’s 60 best short walks. It is only a 1.6 km return walk. At the end of the wooded path you suddenly come out to a platform which is perched 200 m above the Mersey River below. Take care if you suffer from vertigo.

Tulampanga, the Aboriginal name for Alum Cliffs, remains a place of particular significance to Aborigines because of the ochre found nearby. Along the walk there are sculptures and pieces of outdoor furniture, some created by local Aboriginal artists.
https://parks.tas.gov.au/things-to-do/60-great-short-walks/alum-cliffs

The Nut – Stanley

The Nut, an ancient volcanic plug, dominates the town of Stanley. You can climb or drive to the top or if you’re a bit braver, ride the chair lift. Chair lifts freak me out a bit! Generally, I am not scared of heights per se, but chairs lifts… shiver…..There is a 2.4 km loop walk up the top which gives you great views of the town below.

The Nut in Stanley — From Highfields Historic Homestead.

Fossil Bluff – Wynyard

And finally fossils! Plenty of them too! Fossil Bluff is on the western side of Wynyard which is in north west Tasmania. So much of geology to see here! Layers of marine fossils, boulders and a rocky beach.

Bit of wind noise sorry…

Geology Part 1 – Stories from the Great Southern Road Trip

Confessed Geology Nerd!

I’m a rock nerd! I have more than a passing interest in geology and geological formations. Given that I’m a high school science teacher I feel that interest is very legitimate! While my knowledge is rudimentary, (my degree was mostly chemistry) I know enough to be able to read the stories held in rocks. Although it’s more like the abridged Readers’ Digest version, the outline is there! I know the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks but can’t identify many by name. My recent Great Southern Road Trip gave me lots of opportunities to check out some interesting scenery.

Geology and Geotourism is an increasingly popular way to travel and Geotrails are becoming more common. I have a great map called the Geotourism Map of NSW but I have not found one for the other states. It gives locations and details of some of the interesting formations.

This post shows some of the features I snapped along my way down the NSW coast and ~~then in Tasmania.~~ I missed plenty! I will just have to go back on another road trip – darn. I will give the broad brush strokes of what took my interest rather than a detailed explanation of the geology or geological history. (If you’re a geologist I’m happy to have your input in the comments below!)

Originally, I was planning on covering the geology encountered in both NSW and Tassie in this one post but it’s getting too long so I’ve split it into a two-parter.

Far South Coast of NSW

Jervis Bay – Moe’s Rock and surrounds

I don’t know who Moe was but the rock platforms in this area look bubbly and aerated. More likely there is some differential weathering of the sandstone. The colour of the sandstone also varies significantly. The lumpy, almost pillowy surface adds a lot of interest. While you are here in Booderee National Park have a look at the Cape St George Lighthouse. For the pedantic, Jervis Bay is actually not part of NSW but is governed by the ACT. In addition to whiter than white beaches there is a large-ish naval base there.

Bateman’s Bay – Denham’s Beach.

At the north end of Denham’s Beach there are two interesting features. Firstly the nicely folded rock wall and secondly the large potato like rocks strewn over the rock platform. When I first came across them, I really thought they were potatoes. Smooth, round and light coloured. Some have a coating of green algae. The rock wall has several very distinct strata. At the base is the dark rock which also makes up the platform. It is overlaid with lighter rock with embedded darker stripes.

Eden – South End of Aslings Beach

At the south end of Aslings Beach there is a magnificently striated and folded rock wall. At the base, there is a man-made rock pool. The layers are multi-coloured and in the right light glow with a rich red hue. These two photos taken at different times of the day and from a different angle and show off the folds and erosion.

Light to Light Walk – Green Cape National Park

You can walk from Boyd’s Tower to Green Cape Lighthouse. It is a 33 km walk and typically done over two days. Along the way there are LOTS on interesting features. The colour of the rocks is spectacular especially in contrast to the green-blue ocean. If you don’t want to do the walk, you can still access some of the spots via road. I did parts of the Light to Light Walk and have written about it in another post.

Australia’s Highest Peak – Mt Kosciuszko,

A COVID lockdown in Victoria meant I needed to change my plans (quickly!!!) and head west. I climbed to the top of Mt Kosciuszko on a fine sunny day via the Main Range Loop Track. I have written a separate post about the walk. The landscape is dominated by large granite tors. You can read about how tors form on Wikipedia.

The Rock – near Wagga Wagga

Maybe a little more thought could have gone into the name for this particular landform? The Rock juts out from the landscape very dramatically and is about 30 km south-west of Wagga Wagga. There is a walking trail to the summit, which according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, is a 6 km return walk. At this stage of my road trip I was a tight schedule to get to Melbourne to board the Spirit of Tasmania, so whizzed past without stopping! (Except to pull over to take the photo!!)

Part 2 – Tasmania

Check out my next post showcasing the geology and some of the geological features in Tasmania. Coming soon!

Stories from the Great Southern Road Trip – Lighthouses.

Lighthouses! I like ‘em and it would seem that many others do too. I will blame my fondness on epi-genetics. Somewhere in my relatively recent history one of my ancestors was involved in building lighthouses in Australia. In particular the Macquarie Lighthouse in Sydney’s Watson’s Bay. I have written about lighthouses in my home town of Wollongong, Scotland and Maine, USA in previous posts.

In this post I am not planning on going into any detail about the lighthouses themselves but rather quick anecdotes about my visits and some photos. There are plenty of other websites which have lots of information and maps. Check out Lighthouses of Australia and Wikipedia.

Lighthouses on the Bucket List.

My bucket list includes a very ambitious and totally impractical goal of photographing every lighthouse in Australia. No mean feat given there are around 350 of them and over 25,000 km of coastline! My more realistic 60 before 60 list (60 things to do before I turn 60) has an item “to see at least 15 new lighthouses” as one of the things to tick off before May 2021. I am pleased to say that this item is in fact done and dusted after checking out ten new lighthouses on my recent Great Southern Road Trip to add to the five others I had already recorded. Unfortunately, due to a COVID lockdown in Victoria I missed several that I had planned to see including staying overnight at the Wilson’s Promontory Lightstation.

New South Wales Lighthouses

Crookhaven Heads

This small, sad lighthouse is no longer in service and has been damaged by graffiti and vandalism. It is at the end of a short but pleasant stroll from the car park.

Cape St George

There is an amazing story about this sandstone lighthouse and reading the information boards is enough to make the visit special. The location for the light was very contentious. The people with the money advocating for one location and the people with the maritime expertise declaring it should be in another. Money won. Ships became confused and wrecks continued. The lighthouse is very near Wreck Bay, so called because of the number of wrecks that occurred there.. The Lighthouse is in the Booderee National Park which is strictly not in NSW but rather part of the Australian Capital Territory. It is managed by the local indigenous people and you need a valid visitor pass to enter. You can get this easily from the website. You also can catch a glimpse of the lighthouse at Point Perpendicular in the distance.

Point Perpendicular way off in the distance

Boyd’s Tower

Boyd’s Tower was never actually used as a lighthouse and served as a whale watching station. There is an excellent 33 km walk from the tower to Green Cape Lighthouse. There are several camping spots along the way. I did the two ends of the walk but not the middle section. You can read my Light the Light Walk post for more information. The tower is in Green Cape National Park and you need a valid pass.

Green Cape Lighthouse

Green Cape is managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. You are able to stay at the lighthouse in the various cottages. I stayed overnight in the assistant keeper’s cottage. It is big enough to accommodate 6 people very comfortably and I was rattling around on my own in such a large space! I had actually booked the much smaller Telegraph Station but due to a maintenance issue, I was upgraded! The grounds are home to some enormous wombats and tiny pademelons.

There is an onsite manager who keeps a very low profile. If you book ahead you can organise a tour of the lighthouse itself. The lighthouse is in the southern portion of Green Cape National Park and once again you must have a valid pass. It is also at the end of a long dirt road. I was fine in my AWD Subaru but it looked a bit hairy for those in two wheel drives.

Tasmanian Lighthouses

Bluff Hill Point Lighthouse

Killer bees and asbestos! If you don’t mind a bit of dirt driving this lighthouse is well worth a visit. It is situated a little north of the small township of Arthur River on Tasmania’s wild west coast. I had a fabulous time photographing wild seas and craggy rocks.

Rocky Cape

Rocky Cape Lighthouse is also at the end of a dirt road. The closest town is Stanley on Tasmania’s northern coast. Apart from the lighthouse there are several very good hikes in the area. I began the walk to Sisters Beach but abandoned the idea because the very strong wind nearly blew me off the steep, narrow track.

The view from Rocky Cape Lighthouse – a rocky cape!

Table Cape

I went to Table Cape Lighthouse in the wrong season! This lighthouse is surrounded by tulip farms and if you went in spring you would be able to see the mass plantings of tulips and the lighthouse. Have a look at this video from Discover Tasmania to get a hint at what you can see at the right time of year. Having said that the road is narrow and winding. The traffic must be horrendous with budding Instagrammers!

Low Head

If you don’t visit any other lighthouses in Tasmania or you’re not really a lighthouse enthusiast, make sure you do visit this one! In addition to the pretty little lighthouse with red stripes, there is a Pilot Station nearby which has a small maritime museum. The museum has an interesting collection and is run by volunteers. If that still is not your cup of tea, have a real cup of tea at the lovely little cafe! If it’s still on the menu don’t miss out on the Eton Mess! (I had it for lunch! Kicking the nutrition goals!) Once again there is accommodation at the lighthouse and at the pilot station.

Seen from a distance!

I did not actually visit the next three lighthouses and only got glimpses from a distance.

Mersey Bluff.

Mersey Bluff is in Devonport. You have to access it via a caravan park. It was my intention to try and catch it at sunrise but the boom gates, lack of signage and the dark, made me give up. I did not get to see it until the Spirit of Tasmania sailed past it as I was leaving Tasmania. This lighthouse has vertical red stripes, in contrast to the horizontal bands at nearby Low Head. Apparently a way for sailors to tell the difference in times of old….

Goose Island Lighthouse

This lighthouse is on one of the small islands near Flinders Island. The closest I could get was through the telescopic lens of my camera from the top of Mt Strzelecki. Even then it is just a tiny speck!

Entrance Island Lighthouse

This lighthouse is at the mouth of the Macqaurie Harbour near Strahan. I snapped this picture as I was cruising past on a Gordon River Cruise. As you can see the weather was not great!

About Park Passes

If you are going to be doing any road tripping in Australia it is very worthwhile to invest in park passes. I bought an annual pass for Tasmania online even though I was only going to be there for a few weeks. The annual pass was MUCH cheaper and more flexible than buying individual day passes for each park. Incidentally, even if you are just hiking and not driving, you need a visitor pass which you are meant to carry with you. I already had an annual pass for NSW National Parks.

You can only buy day passes for Booderee. I could not find a similar system for Victoria parks. I’m not saying you don’t need one but I could not find it online.