Organ Pipes National Park

Visitor Guide

The Organ Pipes, a set of columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten , are the parks best known feature. Visitors can enjoy the fantastic range of picnicking, walking, bird watching and photography opportunities available. Since the park was declared in 1972, a great deal of work has been done to restore the indigenous vegetation to the area.

Enjoying the park Over the million years since the lava flow, Jacksons Creek has cut a deep valley through the Start at the Visitor Information Centre and follow basalt and revealed the Organ Pipes. the walking track to explore the many wonderful

n o tfeatures e s of the park. 4. Bedrock 1. Keilor Plains Walk down the stream for 200 metres, past well- established trees and you will see yellowish rocks Walk through the small gate to the two viewing across the creek. These are and platforms. All around you are the basalt Keilor mudstones, sedimentary rocks laid down under Plains, one of the world’s largest lava flows. the sea. Fossils in these old rocks suggest they These plains, formed by lava which came from were formed about four hundred million years volcanoes near Sunbury, are fairly flat except ago. The old river valley now filled by the Organ where streams, like Jacksons Creek below you, Pipes was cut in this sedimentary bedrock. have cut deep valleys. 5. Rosette 2. Native plants revival Now walk back upstream. About 400 metres past As you walk down to the Organ Pipes look closely the Organ Pipes, look across the creek to see at the trees and shrubs. In 1972 this area was Rosette Rock, a radial array of basalt columns like the spokes of a wheel. p a rcovered k with weeds, mainly thistles and boxthorn. Each year since the weeds have been removed 6. Tessellated Pavement more native trees and shrubs have established. Three hundred metres further on is the The task of re-establishing native grasses and Tessellated Pavement, which consists of the tops herbs has been more difficult, but there is now a of basalt columns “filed down” by Jacksons Creek. substantial field of Kangaroo Grass (themeda triandra) on the north side of the track. 7. Scoria Cone You can now return to the car park by the short- 3. The Organ Pipes cut path shown on the map. The car park is on an About a million years ago, molten lava flowed over eroded scoria cone – a small volcano that ejected the Keilor Plains from Mount Holden and other molten volcanic rock called scoria. Scoria is nearby volcanic hills. It filled the depressions and reddish-brown and light in weight; it has many air- valleys of the former land surface, then cooled holes because it was full of steam when ejected. and solidified into basalt. How to get there Here at the Organ Pipes, it is believed that the lava filled a river valley running at right angles to Organ Pipes National Park is just off the Calder Jacksons Creek and was perhaps 70 metres thick. Freeway about 20km north-west of Melbourne Once a surface crust had formed, the lava (Melways Map 3 D4). beneath cooled very slowly. During cooling, the lava contracted and surface cracks developed (as they do in a drying mud puddle). As it continued to harden, the cracks lengthened until the basalt mass was divided into February 2007 columns. Printed on Australian-made, 100% recycled paper.

For more information call the Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 1963 or visit our website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Please keep to walking tracks No fires, including barbecues, Of Park Pipes Organ how to make untreated water water. Carry it in and/or know Be self-sufficient with drinking by following these guidelines: Dogs and other pets are not For further information Help us look after your park Please do not disturb them is in the Organ Pipes National Park www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Please take rubbish away Solid fuel fires are not All native plants, animals, Use only gas barbecues. archaeological sites and to minimise and Firearms are prohibited with you for recycling & trampling of vegetation Total FireBan District Parks Victoria website may be lit on a day of are protected by law. permitted in the park geographic features Information Centre

Diggers Rest 3427 Organ Pipes Road safe for drinking Total Fire Ban Parks Victoria Caring for the Call 13 1963 environment in any way or visit the permitted Central disposal fice Contact the park office on School groups are welcome, but arrangements must be made in advance. bring your own gas barbecue. Picnic tables and toilets are provided. Wood fires are not permitted but you can Facilities and habitat continue to develop. the threatened Striped Legless Lizard, are being introduced as native vegetation lizards. Sugar gliders were released early in 1989 and other species, such as be easy to spot. Reptiles are also common, including skinks and blue-tongue sometimes be seen, although the no park was established. Mammals such as possums, wallabies and echidnas can The number and variety of native birds recorded has increased greatly since the A haven for wildlife To Gisborne

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The park is open Park hours on work in Organ Pipes National Park. Call the Parks Victoria Information Centre on the restoration. Volunteers are always welcome to assist with the ongoing Work by volunteers has been vit Get Involved - hands on! Admission is free. saving period it closes at 6.00pm on weekends and public holidays. Organ Pipes and other as one of the most successful restoration projects in the state. The Friends of LOEMANS 13 1963 ORGAN PIPES

NATIONAL PARK CALDER Bend Farm Horseshoe Brimbank Creek Park & Sydenham to find out about joining a Friends Group. St Albans St Albans

Historic Park FWY Woodlands

from 8.00am to 4.30pm each

Keilor Maribyrnong

WESTERN volunteers have spent many thousand Greenvale Reservoir

River Park

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ROAD © day. During the summer daylight GEELONG N ã the park, long recognised l 0 M/6320 Cartography by Spatial Vision 2007 National Park Organ Pipes Facilities Recreational Toilets Picnic table Park information Lookout disabilities Facilities for people with Carpark Barbecue - Gas (BYO) Water body National Park Gate Walking track Minor road Major road Freeway s of hours working H METRES l 250 MELBOURNE 500