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Arapiles - a Mecca for nature-lovers
By Keith Lockwood
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Arapiles, a million mountains Deep in western Victoria is a unique rock island which juts out abruptly from an ocean of flat Wimmera wheat paddocks. Mt Arapiles is a geographical island and an ecological island as well, being at the crossroads of green civilisation and the red outback.
It lies at the southern edge of Australia's desert country, the northern extremity of verdant coastal Victoria and the western extremity of the Great Dividing Range.
Its intimate geography - damp shady gullies, hot northern slopes, fissured rocks and swampy ground - provides a wide range of micro-climates.
Its vertical elevation, rising 230 metres above the surrounding plain, also creates a variety of micro-environments.
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| After studying Mt Arapiles over the course of 21 years, noted botanist Cliff Beauglehole declared the mountain a rare and unique landmark, with unparalleled diversity.
Fred Rogers, who wrote a guide to plants of Arapiles and the nearby Little Desert, described Mt Arapiles as one of the richest botanical areas in Australia.
Arapiles, a million mountains is a coffee-table book by Natimuk author Keith Lockwood who sheds new light on this fascinating place - a mecca for bird-watchers, a mecca for climbers from around the world, and a mecca for nature-lovers.
It is truly a million mountains.
Available on line from www.arapilesbook.com for $49.95 plus postage. |
| * Front cover of the book - a detail from a painting of Mt Arapiles by Nicholas Chevalier, 1863 Ta, Keith Lockwood |
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© Eco Voice 2006. All material subject to copyright. No part of this website may be reproduced without the written permission of the authors of the articles, photographers and their organisations in conjunction with Eco Voice. Opinions published in this paper are not necessarily those of Eco Voice. Whilst care is taken in selecting published material, the publisher accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any published material. |
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