Cawnpore Lookout

via Middleton
S 22’38.301, E 141’09.911

Cawnpore Lookout and the Lilleyvale Hills did not always stand so proudly on the horizon, and nor where the surrounding hues so brilliant and warm. Before this arid, dramatic landscape you see today, another world existed here.

Approximately 90 – 95 million years ago rivers and lakes abundant with wildlife filled inland Australia. Fossil birds, platypus, frogs and snakes lived here. Weathering of the landscape created erosion, the more resistant rocks were left behind creating steep escarpments.

The collision of the Australian Plate with the southwestern part of the Pacific Plate created the New Guinea highlands. This is believed to have caused a ‘rain shadow’ effect which drastically changed weather patterns in Australia, and dried out the landscape to what we see today.

How are Mesas formed?
Mesas are formed by weathering and erosion. While some rocks can withstand weathering, weaker types of rocks will erode away, leaving the more resistant rocks higher than their surroundings. This process is called ‘differential erosion’. The most resistant rock types include sandstone, conglomerate, quartzite, chert, limestone, lava flows and sills. Lava flows and sills, in particular, are very resistant to weathering and erosion, and often form the flat top, or caprock, of a mesa. The less resistant rock layers consist of softer rocks such as shale, that weathers more easily.

How can I experience this amazing landscape?

Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum:
Located on the top of a glorious mesa and overlooking the Winton region is the incredible Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. The fantastic collection of fossils offer an incredible link to the region’s prehistoric past.

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways:
Amidst this stunning landscape of red plains and jumpups, discover the trackways of the world’s only recorded dinosaur stampede. These prints have remained frozen in time for about 95 million years.

For more information
Visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs website (Phone: 07 4657 0414). For more information about activities in Winton head to the Waltzing Matilda Centre (Phone: 1300 665 115).