Hedlow Creek District on the Capricorn Coast

Hedlow Creek District

In the above map I have indicated the direction of drainage in the Hedlow Creek basin, as you can see the plain is very close to sea level and has a disorganized drainage pattern, reflective of its low-lying nature and the changes to the Fitzroy River system that have repeatedly occurred over the distant and recent geological past. Much of this land is inundated during wet periods and drains westward into Alligator Creek and thence to the Fitzroy River, in the past both Alligator Creek and Hedlow Creek were either much larger streams or channels of the Fitzroy river and probably drained into Corio Bay or even Shoalwater Bay.


	The trachyte plugs


	These features are remnants of a volcanic system that was active in the Rockhampton region perhaps 60 or more million years ago these, relatively recent volcanic features were probably associated with 'hot spots' (mantle plumes) that Australia passed over as its tectonic plate began to move northwards after it separated from Antarctica. The softer ash and igneous surface rocks were eroded away long ago leaving the harder, erosion-resistant 'necks' or 'plugs' of the volcanic vents and cones remaining, a striking feature of this area is the abrupt transition from 'flat land' to hills and ranges.
	Hedlow Creek

	Hedlow Creek and its tributaries arise from the northern side of the Berserker Range as a typical small creek but changes dramatically when it reaches the flat plain around Lake Mary Road where it becomes a broad serpentine creek several kilometres long.and is thought to be an ancient course of the Fitzroy River, Alligator Creek, Serpentine Lake and Green Lake are part of the same drainage complex.

An Australian pastorale, a section of Hedlow Creek



Iron Pot Mountain with Akubra Station outbuildings in the foreground	The remains of gateposts at the entrance to a huge WW2 U.S.artillery base.	Some of the cones seen from horseback near Mt. Wheeler