Exploring the Olinda Volcano, the VW Track

Huge old tree

VW Track

VW Track

About 250 million years ago, a volcano erupted, forming part of what we now know as the the Dandenong Ranges.

The focus of the volcano was near the present day village of Olinda - lava ran down the eastern slopes.

The Olinda Forest lies in the volcano crater, now part of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km from Melbourne town.

The Silvan Reservoir sits in the crater!

In the 1870s, the area was heavily timbered and most of the trees were cut down and taken out by bullock wagons.

Logging cased in the 1970s.

The well-known Olinda Falls is formed by the Olinda Creek, which rises near the top of Mt Dandenong, and ends at a storage basin at Lilydale.

Several smaller streams flow into the Olinda Creek.

The Olinda Creek Valley consists of a rugged gorge, with the Falls about half way down, nestled between steeply sloping spurs which lead down from Mt Dandenong.

On the eastern spur is the unusually-named VW Track, a foot-track starting at the crater rim at Bartlett Track, at an altitude of 414 m, and ending at the Olinda Creek Rd, 292 m.

This track is designated by Parks Victoria as a "5C" category track, for recreational purposes - it is to be closed off and the area set aside for rehabilitation.

I explored this Track on Wednesday afternoon March 31, 2010. I parked on Falls Rd, then followed gated Bartlett Track, reaching VW Tk, which is unsigned, but accessible! There are limited views from the track, and many rock formations may be seen, leftovers from the last eruption!

The last section of the track is quite steep and rocky and is not recommended in wet weather.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

A hike around the Olinda Volcano Crater

On Thursday afternoon June 11 2009 I went up to the Olinda Section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km ast of the Melbourne CBD.

My visit was a 3 km hike along part of the eastern rim of the former volcano, starting at the access gate at the junction of Falls Rd and Bartlett Track, at an altitude of about 459 m.

Bartlett Tk was followed to the junction of VW Track, which is officially closed, but is still available for walkers.

This track was followed in a northerly direction, and then a steep rocky descent reaching the junction of Olinda Creek Rd, at an elevation of 266 m, a descent of some 200 m!

That was the turnaround point.

The track follows the Olinda Creek Valley, which is immediately to the west, in rugged and inhospitable forest, logged out in the 1940s, and then ravaged by bushfires.

The origin of the name "VW Track" is unknown, and the southern sction was originally an access road for loggers. The steep rocky northern section was added as an extension for walkers.

Here is some background information from Parks Victoria:

The Dandenong Ranges represent the remains of an ancient volcano that existed more than 300 million years ago. Weathering and streams have eroded the old volcano to such an extent that it is largely unrecognisable today.

The whole block is separate from other mountain ranges and it is of an earlier volcanic derivation than the vast majority of other volcanic areas in Victoria.

The Dandenong Ranges is a result of volcanic events that produced a complex igneous rock system of Upper Devonian age. This occurred in two stages. The first stage involved numerous volcanic lava flows while the second was a series of cauldron collapses resulting in distinct intrusions.

About 350 million years ago the formation of the Dandenong Ranges began with a general weakening of the earth's crust.

Some 300 million years ago near the township of Olinda a large volcano welled up through the earth's crust, creating four distinct lava flows over a period of time.

The full article may be viewed at
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/education/resource_kit/resources/pverksection4a0911.pdf

See the full set of Photos of my visit, including a Google Earth image which shows the Dandenong Ranges viewed from the east - the volcanic formations are of interest!