Mt Fisher and Windy Hill
Today I headed to a meeting at Ravenshoe, leaving early to see what photo opportunities the morning light might offer.
Upper Barron was stunning again.
Two remarkable volcanic remnants on the Atherton Tablelands - Mt Fisher and Windy Hill - caught my attention. These are part of an incredible geological story stretching back millions of years!
Mt Fisher is a shield volcano that was active between 1.47-1.43 million years ago. Shield volcanoes are characterised by their low-angled slopes extending 5 to 15km from the vent, built by voluminous lava flows that were runny enough to travel long distances. This volcano rises 185 metres above the surrounding landscape and sits deep in rainforest, making it a challenging but rewarding photography subject. I drove around Mt Fisher capturing different perspectives and encountering the Beatrice River a few times.
Windy Hill (also called the Ravenshoe volcano) was active about 1.24 million years ago, its lava flows traveled over 25km to the south and southwest. The volcano has a height of 100m and extends about 1500m in radius.
These ancient volcanoes have shaped everything about this landscape - from the fertile red basaltic soils that support the region's famous agriculture, to the rolling topography of the tablelands, to the spectacular waterfalls where creeks tumble over resistant lava flows.
It's humbling to photograph these geological giants and think about the immense forces that shaped this land over millions of years.
And the meeting .... it went well. Got the green light for a collaborative effort on a special geo story on the Cape to start shortly!
