Rock Formations at Burleigh Heads National Park

Warning Sign

Sometimes, the Burleigh Heads National Park is closed due to unsafe conditions caused by rock falls.

I thought it was very interesting how these rock formations happened in the first place.

When you enter the park, you will see signs describing the rock fall hazards and how they came about.

The following is what is written on one of the signs. Believe it or not :-) :

Rockfalls at Burleigh Head National Park

What's the problem? - The rock formations at Burleigh Head National Park are one of the park's most striking features.

Boulder-falls at the park have been occurring for millions of years. they are a natural geological occurrence due to the erodability of the soils, steep slope and type of rock. The frequency of the recent boulder falls on the track means that dangerous areas are sometimes close, for the safety of all park users.

Understanding the problem

About 23 million years ago, numerous eruptions of molten lava, (basalt) from the large shield volcano centered over the present Mt Warning spread for many kilometres in all directions. Some flows reached the present coastline at Burleigh Heads and Point Danger.

Where the Lava came from

Cooling and contraction of the thick lava resulted in the formation of long rock columns which are typically six-sided. Over millions of years these columns have tumbled or slid to the water's edge. The boulder-strewn shoreline we see today is evidence of this process.

In recent times, the main natural cause of boulder falls has been found to be erosion caused by heavy rainfall. fire, earthquakes and vegetation changes ( plant death or root growth wedging boulders apart) are other natural causes.

Future management of boulders

Park rangers will monitor the slopes for changes that may indicate a potential boulder-fall. The Ocean Ocean View Track will be closed at times of high rainfall when risk of a boulder fall is greatest. The track will reopen as soon as site conditions improve.