Pine Mountain (Victoria)

Western Side of Pine Mountain (summit not visible)

Pine Mountain is a gigantic monolith, said to be 1.5 times bigger than Uluru,^[1] situated in the Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park in Australia.

Location

The base of Pine Mountain is located 10 km southeast of the small town of Walwa, Victoria which is a 440 km drive northeast of Melbourne or 115 km east of Albury-Wodonga. The mountain is part of the Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park which offers a large number of 4wd and walking tracks, waterfalls, picnic and camping areas and numerous lookouts.^[2] The park's remote and rugged character is a major attraction for visits and also contains Mount Burowa which is (1300m).^[3]

Geology, flora and fauna

Pine Mountain is argued to be the largest monolith in Australia at 1.5 times bigger than Uluru.^[1] The gigantic granite monolith was uplifted to its present height of 1062 m more than 2 million years ago. Since then erosion has highlighted the steep eastern side, established several creeks, and in the upper area, created small rock pools which contain shrimp and tadpoles despite annual drying, and large granite marbles 2-3.5 m in diameter.^[4]

The Mountain offers a diverse range of vegetation types. It is of great botanical significance due to its number of rare and threatened plant species. Over 200 native plants have been identified on the mountain, 19 of which are rare or local to the area. Rare plant species include Pine Mountain grevillea, fan grevillea, broad-leafed hopbush and phantom wattle.^[5]^[6]^[7] Other vegetation includes black cypress pines and kurrajongs which fringe the steep granite outcrops.^[2]

Animal life is abundant and varied. Black wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and wombats, possums and gliders are especially numerous. The lyre bird is rarely seen but often heard. Over 180 species of birds have been recorded in the park.^[2]

Walking track

Looking towards the summit

From the west side base there is a scenic walking track which traverses large granite outcrops and leads to the summit of Pine Mountain. Access to the walking track is achieved along a 5 km dry weather only 4WD track from the entrance of the park. The walk is very difficult and requires a high level of Australian bush craft skills, mountaineering experience, advanced navigational skills, and a very high level of physical fitness. The walk to the summit is long and extremely strenuous with a number of steep rock climbs and descents, it is advised that only extremely fit persons attempt this walk, and rock climbing skills and experience are advised to complete this walk. The weather is capable of changing very rapidly so it is necessary to be prepared with warm and waterproof clothing, high energy food supplies and sufficient water. The reasonably worn walking track is a 12 km trip, 8 hrs return (or longer, especially if less than perfectly fit or weighed down with equipment). It is marked out with numerous markers on trees and cairns (ducks). The track is sometimes poorly defined so it is necessary that a map and compass is carried, and are used by a properly trained and experienced user. The summit area offers panoramic views of the surrounding Murray River Valleys and the Snowy Mountains, NSW. For the less adventurous there is also a small walk of 2 km, 1hr return, to Rocky Knob.^[1]^[4]

References

1 2 3 Visitor Guide
1 2 3 Sight on Parks Victoria
↑ http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/314490/Park-note-Burrowa-Pine-Mountain-National-Park.pdf
1 2 Local Attractions sign located in local park in Walwa
↑ "Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park Visitor Guide" (PDF). Parks Victoria. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
↑ Australia Government, Australian Botanic National Gardens, Grevillea Jephcottii
↑ Draft Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statement

External links

Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park Website

Mountains in Victoria, Australia

Grampians

William (1,167 m or 3,829 ft)
Difficult
Wilson
Zero

Victorian Alps

Bogong High Plains	Nelse West (1,893 m or 6,211 ft) Nelse North (1,885 m or 6,184 ft) Fainter South (1,883 m or 6,178 ft) Hotham (1,862 m or 6,109 ft) McKay (1,849 m or 6,066 ft) Cope (1,837 m or 6,027 ft) Spion Kopje (1,837 m or 6,027 ft) Jim (1,818 m or 5,965 ft)

Cathedral Range	Lake (1,482 m or 4,862 ft) The Green Hill (1,241 m or 4,072 ft) Sugarloaf (904 m or 2,966 ft) The Cathedral (801 m or 2,628 ft) South Jawbone Peak (761 m or 2,497 ft)

Cobberas Range	Cobberas No. 1 (1,810 m or 5,938 ft) Cobberas No. 2 Moscow Peak Middle Peak Cleft Peak

Cobbler Plateau	Speculation (1,648 m or 5,407 ft) Cobbler (1,628 m or 5,341 ft) Koonika (1,545 m or 5,069 ft) Despair (1,460 m or 4,790 ft)

Other	Bogong (1,986 m or 6,516 ft) Feathertop (1,922 m or 6,306 ft) Loch (1,865 m or 6,119 ft) Buller (1,805 m or 5,922 ft) Wills (1,755 m or 5,758 ft) Gibbo (1,750 m or 5,741 ft) Stirling (1,749 m or 5,738 ft) Howitt (1,742 m or 5,715 ft) The Horn (1,723 m or 5,653 ft) Buffalo (1,723 m or 5,653 ft) Wellington (1,634 m or 5,361 ft) Buggery (Alpine) (1,598 m or 5,243 ft) Baw Baw (1,567 m or 5,141 ft) Torbreck (1,516 m or 4,974 ft) St Gwinear (circa 1,500 m or 4,921 ft) Mueller (1,460 m or 4,790 ft) Selma (1,456 m or 4,777 ft) Useful (1,435 m or 4,708 ft) Tambo (1,430 m or 4,692 ft) Selwyn (1,411 m or 4,629 ft) Terrible (1,325 m or 4,347 ft) Donna Buang (1,250 m or 4,101 ft) Buggery (Wangaratta) (1,153 m or 3,783 ft) Bulla Bulla (906 m or 2,972 ft) Dom Dom (740 m or 2,428 ft) Brumby Point Pine

Other
mountain ranges

Central Highlands	Macedon (1,001 m or 3,284 ft)

Dandenong Ranges	Dandenong (633 m or 2,077 ft)

Pyrenees Ranges	Avoca (747 m or 2,451 ft) Warrenmang (537 m or 1,762 ft)

Strzelecki Ranges	Tassie (740 m or 2,428 ft)

Other	Matlock (1,377 m or 4,518 ft) Ritchie (1,259 m or 4,131 ft) Toorongo (1,247 m or 4,091 ft) Horsfall (1,130 m or 3,707 ft) Kaye (998 m or 3,274 ft) Elizabeth (941 m or 3,087 ft) Ghiran (924 m or 3,031 ft) Disappointment (794 m or 2,605 ft) Riddell (781 m or 2,562 ft) Beenak (745 m or 2,444 ft) Alexander (744 m or 2,441 ft) Buninyong (719 m or 2,359 ft) Hanging Rock / Diogenes (718 m or 2,356 ft) Warrenheip (714 m or 2,343 ft) Franklin (648 m or 2,126 ft) Beckworth (634 m or 2,080 ft) Corhanwarrabul (628 m or 2,060 ft) Tarrengower (556 m or 1,824 ft) Warrenmang (526 m or 1,726 ft) Teneriffe (444 m or 1,457 ft) Napier (440 m or 1,444 ft) Briggs Bluff (420 m or 1,378 ft) Arapiles (369 m or 1,211 ft) You Yangs (352 m or 1,155 ft) Leura (313 m or 1,027 ft) Noorat (310 m or 1,017 ft) Elephant (240 m or 787 ft) Warrnambool (216 m or 709 ft) Eccles (178 m or 584 ft) Wycheproof (148 m or 486 ft) Cooper (137 m or 449 ft) Fraser Hopeless Typo

Coordinates: 36°00′54″S 147°49′48″E / 36.015°S 147.830°E / -36.015; 147.830

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