Mount Noorat, Dormant volcano in Terang, Victoria, Australia.
Mount Noorat is a dormant volcano in the small rural town of Noorat, in Victoria's Shire of Corangamite. It has a deep enclosed crater at its top, with walls made up of visible layers of volcanic rock and ash.
The volcano last erupted somewhere between 5,000 and 20,000 years ago, forming the crater and the slopes that are visible today. The eruptions happened in more than one phase, which is why the mountain has a layered and complex shape.
The Kirrae Wuurong people have a long connection to this place and considered it a meeting ground. The name Noorat itself comes from their language and is still used today, keeping that tie alive.
A marked path starts from Morack Street and leads first to a viewpoint over the crater, then continues up a steeper section to the summit. Sturdy footwear is a good idea, as the upper part of the trail can be uneven.
The rock layers show that the volcano first erupted as a maar, then shifted to become a scoria cone, two different eruption styles in one mountain. Some of the fragments embedded in the walls come from deep within the Earth's mantle, brought to the surface by the force of those ancient eruptions.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
