Mt Canobolas is a prominent ‘landlocked island’ [inselberg] protruding up to half a kilometre above the surrounding plateau of the western Central Tablelands. It stands sentinel over the city of Orange as a landscape icon.
The unique biodiversity of Mt Canobolas derives from its geological history, high altitudes and isolation in the landscape. Mount Canobolas is an 11 million year old former volcano that originally reached about 1000 m above its surrounds forming an inselberg, or land-locked island of high altitude habitat. Today at 1,397 m, the summit of Mt Canobolas is still about 500 m above the surrounding plateau. Much of the Mt Canobolas State Conservation Area (SCA) is above 1000 m in altitude, has a much colder and wetter climate than the lowlands and supports an isolated ecosystem of high montane and sub-alpine vegetation. The isolation of Mt Canobolas from other peaks on the Great Dividing Range to the east has allowed the evolution of new life forms, similar to the evolution of different species of Darwin’s Finches and Giant Tortoises on the isolated volcanic islands of the Galapagos Archipelago.
Say NO to Mountain Bike Tracks in Mt Canobolas State Conservation Area!
