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Sunset is the magic time for the erosional artefacts of the walls of china
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Much of the erosion is from the occasional rain which falls. Wind then moves the resulting sand and clay over the top of the lunette to the mobile dunes on the lee (eastern) side.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Walls of china in the early morning light.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Ephemeral pool in Lake Mungo. Looking towards the lunette to the east.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
This photo illustrates well the different coloured layers of the Mungo sediments, with the flat Lake Mungo lakebed in the distance.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Abandoned fence not far from Vigars Well, but on the western side of the lunette. The fence posts are of cypress pine, a wood which is resistant to weathering and termites. The wood is not impervious to all agencies of decay, however, and the part which was above ground is wider and thicker than the part which was below ground - incidentally indicating how much erosion has taken place since the fence was erected.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Looking towards the south east across Lake Mungo from the top of the lunette near Vigars Well.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
badlands
Photo: Don Hitchcock
badlands
Photo: Don Hitchcock
badlands
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Badlands topography on the walls of china.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
This white layer may be a former lake shore.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Badlands topography on the walls of china.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Far northern end of the Lake Mungo lunette, near Lake Leaghur.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Plain of gibbers, or small stones. Perhaps a former lake shore?
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Ancient shoreline, marked by pebbles.
The lines of gravel and pebbles in this area can be traced for many kilometres along the shore of Lake Mungo. They are water rolled pebbles that washed up along the shoreline and show that strong wave action, generated from frequent westerly winds, smoothed and moved pebbles and small rocks.
Text: Sign at Lake Mungo NP.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Mungo is a dead end lake.
Just over 4600 years ago, the building of the pyramids of Egypt began.
The last time Willandra Creek water ran this channel into Lake Mungo was not twice as long ago as that, but three times as long ago!
Aboriginals were fishing here eight times as long ago as when the pyramids were being built.
The last 50 000 years have been a period of many changes.
Here at the northern end ofthe lake the impact of the west wind is less direct... the lunette is lower and wider. This allowed the channel fromLake Leaghur to remain open. Sheep grazing and rabbits have reduced ground cover on the slopes to some shrubs and ephemeral grasses and herbs. The few taller mallee eucalypts to the left, all which remains of the woodland are heavily used by ravens (which many people call crows) and the Wedge-tailed Eagle for nesting purposes. The eagle lives almost entirely on rabbits and carrion while the ravens live on carrion.
Text: Sign at Lake Mungo NP.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Dunes behind Vigars Wells. This is a high active dune, which is moving west towards the wells.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Looking south east from the top of the dunes at Vigars Wells towards the western side of Lake Mungo, across the walls of china.
Photo: Don Hitchcock
Sign at Lake Leaghur.
The text reads:
Water levels in Lake Mungo varied a lot. There are three gravel layers in this area (only Zanci is visible) representing three major lake filling events between 55 000 and 22 000 years ago.
The line of gravel in the previous photograph is the most recent shoreline at Lake Mungo. It is called the Zanci shoreline gravels and represents a brief high water phase from 22 to 24 000 years ago. After this Lake Mungo dried and rarely refilled. Other lakes in the north of this region have held water more recently.
A horizontal line drawn from this gravel shoreline to similar gravels near the Mungo Visitors Centre shows the depth of water in Lake Mungo was about eight metres.
Text: Sign at Lake Mungo NP.
Photo: Don Hitchcock