~ Dinosaur Dreaming ~
Introduction to the area of study
A rich layer of fossils of long extinct animals is located not far from Inverloch, at the Flat Rocks site near The Caves.
Since 1994, a group of palaeontologists and trained volunteers from Museum Victoria and Monash University have conducted annual "Dinosaur Dreaming" digs at the site.
Ornithopod (image courtesy of Peter Trusler)
Each summer for 4-6 weeks the dig team collects an average of 700 fossil bones and teeth.
The fossils are carefully removed from the rock and then taken to Museum Victoria's Vertebrate Palaeontology Collection for identification, cataloguing and further research.
So far they have collected over 10,000 items.
The Dinosaur Dreaming project is vital to the study of what Australia, and particularly Victoria, was like over 120 million years ago.
The dig site is easily reached. The closest car park is at The Caves, approximately 5km along the Cape Paterson Road from Inverloch. A short walk down the path and across a bridge leads to the beach and rock platforms.
Leslie Kool with school group at the Dig.
Possible aims for the visit
- Study the geology and palaeontology of the dig site
- Examine the different types of rocks on the rock platform
- Observe the tilted sedimentary beds in the cliff face
- Observe the volcanic dyke/intrusion on the shore platform
- Observe the earthquake zone, volcanic rocks and other interesting features
- Note the fossilised wood exposed on the rock platform
- Estimate the size of the trees that grew in this area 115 million years ago by measuring the size of fossilised trunks and branches found in the rock
- Visit the Shell Museum and Dinosaur Display at the Bunurong Environment Centre, Inverloch
- Work sheets are available from Bunurong Coast Education for all the activities listed above.
Time required
The best time to visit Flat Rocks is approximately 3 hours either side of low tide. This allows students plenty of time to examine the shore platform.
Tide times are available online from the Bureau of Meteorology. (To calculate the tide times for Inverloch, check the times for Port Phillip Heads and add 20 minutes,or 1:20 during summer.)
Equipment required
Students should wear sturdy shoes (no thongs or bare feet) as the platform contains jagged rocks and shells and can be quite slippery. Students should also wear sun protection.
Recommended resources
- Dinosaur Dreaming - Exploring the Bass Coast of Victoria - Edited by Lesley Kool, joint publication of Queen Victoria Museum (Tasmania) & Monash Science Centre (Victoria), (2010) $20
- Dinosaur Dreaming - Along the Bass Coast of Victoria - CD education kit for schools and families - Lesley Kool and Pam Mathieson. Joint publication of SGCS and Monash Science Centre (Victoria), (2010) $10 Education Kit
- Dinosaur Dreaming booklet - Melbourne Museum and Monash University, $5
-
Dinosaur Dreaming Along the Coast
- leaflet, free
These two publications are available from the Bunurong Environment Centre, Inverloch.
- Polar Dinosaurs of Australia - Museum Victoria Nature Series, (2007)
- A Century of Australian Dinosaurs - Patricia Vickers-Rich and Thomas H. Rich, joint publication of Queen Victoria Museum (Tasmania) & Monash Science Centre (Victoria), (2003)
- Dinosaur Dreaming: The Inverloch Fossil Site - Museum Victoria Infosheet
Take Care!
While at the dig site, don't walk too close to the cliff faces! They are very unstable and rock falls may occur.
The Dinosaur Dreaming site is open to the public, but removal of rocks and collection of fossils is illegal without a permit. This applies to any and all fossils found in the Bunurong Marine & Coastal Park.
Fossils can be extremely difficult to recognise and important specimens may be damaged or destroyed if removed incorrectly.