5 places to discover
Bombo Quarry is a heritage-listed former basalt quarry on Bombo Headland near Kiama on the New South Wales South Coast. It is renowned for its spectacular columnar basalt formations of the Gerringong Volcanics. Operated from the 1880s, the quarry supplied blue metal for construction. Now part of the Bombo Headland Reserve, it is a protected geological site valued for its natural, historic and educational significance.
Caiguna Blowholes are natural limestone blowholes located south of the Eyre Highway near Caiguna in the Shire of Dundas, Western Australia, on the Nullarbor Plain. Formed in the vast Nullarbor limestone, the blowholes vent air with changes in atmospheric pressure, creating a distinctive blowing sound. The site is a popular roadside stop for travellers crossing the Eyre Highway between Norseman and Eucla, offering insight into the region's karst geology and remote outback landscape.
Murphy's Haystacks are ancient pink granite inselberg formations located on private farmland near Mortana, about 33 kilometres southeast of Streaky Bay on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. Formed around 1,500 million years ago from Hiltaba granite, the weathered pillars rise abruptly from flat agricultural land. Named after traveller Dennis Murphy who mistook them for haystacks from a distance, they are a significant geological attraction and popular photography stop.
Mystery Craters is a small geological tourist attraction located on private farmland at South Kolan, about 25 kilometres southwest of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia. Discovered in 1971, the site contains 35 unusual pit-like craters of varying sizes spread across a grassy paddock. The origin of the craters remains unexplained, with theories including meteorite impact and other natural processes, making it a curiosity for visitors interested in geology and unusual natural phenomena.
The Tessellated Pavement is a natural intertidal rock platform at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania. It is renowned for its striking mosaic-like appearance created by natural jointing and erosion of Permian siltstone. The flat foreshore displays distinct pan and loaf formations, making it one of Tasmania's most photographed geological sites and a key attraction within the Tasman National Park area.