Mount Warrenheip, Extinct volcano near Ballarat, Australia

Mount Warrenheip is an extinct volcano near Ballarat in Victoria, sitting inside a forested nature reserve. The summit has a crater that is open on its northern side and is topped by telecommunications towers.

Mount Warrenheip is an inactive scoria cone that last erupted around 1,000,000 years ago, according to the English Wikipedia entry; the German article gives 2.5 ± 0.15 million years. The mountain was burned by fires in 1866, 1901, 1939 and again in February 2013.

The name Warrenheip derives from the Wathaurong word Warrengeep, meaning "emu's feathers", a reference to the fern-like vegetation that once covered the mountain. In spring, forget-me-not flowers appear on the slopes. Most of the mountain is a nature conservation reserve, and a small number of koalas and wallabies live there.

The summit is reached by Mount Warrenheip Road, which passes through the nature reserve. The ground can be uneven and the weather shifts quickly at this elevation, so sturdy footwear and warm layers are worth bringing.

Snow falls on Warrenheip on average seven days a year, and in heavy winters the cone may be snowcapped for a short period. Its climate resembles Ballarat's but is often a few degrees colder because of its elevation and exposure to wind.