The history of these rock formations now called Organ Pipes started about 1 Million years ago when volcanoes erupted nearby. The volcanoes formed a vulcanic plain which was connected with larger vulcanic plane covering most of Western Victoria at that time.
As a result of the eruptions old river beds and creek lines were filled with molten lava which completely covered the landscape.
When the lava cooled down it turned into basalt. Once the surface had cooled, the lava in this old creek line cooled down only slowly and therefore cracked into long columns.
Eventually, the Jackson Creek eroded away a new valley in a right angle to the lava filled creek line and exposed its basalt columns - the Organ Pipes.
The Organ Pipes rock formation is located inside the Organ Pipes National Park. The park opening hours are:
8:30am to 4:30pm daily (6pm during daylight savings)
Near the coordinates of the cache you find an information board, which explains the creation process of the Organ Pipes. It provides you with information to answer the following questions. There is no need to leave the trails to answer these questions.
- What caused the special shape of the columns?
- How many sides do the columns have?
- Upload a picture of you or your GPSr in front of the Organ Pipes (optional)
Send me a message with your answers. You can log directly. I'll contact you if there are any issues with your answers.
Further information and resources:
Parks Victoria: Organ Pipes National Park
Wikipedia: Organ Pipes National Park