Conservation
Point Labatt headland is located on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. This area was declared a 39ha Conservation Park in 1973. The short protected beach is the site of a sea lion colony. Seal pups use the beach and rocks to learn how to swim and fish.
The dirt roads that lead to Point Labatt should be accessible to most vehicles. Please park where indicated and make your way to the lookout. Beach access at the point is prohibited and likely to be dangerous.
Enjoy the spectacular view from the lookout roughly 40m above the sand. Please no spoiler photos as they may be deleted.
Diagram below sourced from Environment South Australia.
Geology
The 40 metre high cliffs at this location are composed of calcarenite capped granite.
The park contains the edge of the Calcrete Plains dated at 120,000 years old. It is part of the extensive Bridgewater Formation. The plain envelops limestone cliffs up to 60 metres in height. These cliffs cap massive red granite slabs within the volcanic Hiltaba Suite, and aged at roughly 1.5 million years.* The soil here is mostly a thin layer of calcareous material and shallow sand dunes.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed principally of calcium carbonate (calcite) or the double carbonate of calcium and magnesium (dolomite). It is commonly composed of fossils, shell fragments and other marine debris. These fossils are often visible on close inspection of the rock. Calcarenite is composed of sand-sized grains of calcite. Limestone may be white, grey, yellow or brown. It is soft rock and easily scratched.
At this location, the calcarenite cap is protected from erosion by the battering force of the waves by the high granite base. The granite forms a series of reefs and a headland that protects the cliffs from the Southern Ocean. The spectacular red granite reefs extend up to 600m offshore. Granite is formed from volcanic eruption, and magma that cools slowly and hardens over a long period of time (intrusive igneous rock). You can see visible crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica in granite. It is a durable rock, resistant to weathering.
If you venture to other parts of the west coast of South Australia, for example, at Perlubie Beach, you’ll see evidence of rock instability in the form of limestone caves and massive chunks of limestone crumbling into the sea. These cliffs are unprotected from wave action.
*The geological significance of the Hiltaba Suite is beyond the scope of this Earthcache. If interested, please seek more information online.
To log this Earthcache from the lookout
Look straight out over the ocean and visible reef.
1. What type of rock is the reef composed of? Briefly explain your choice.
2. Describe the reef’s distinguishing features?
Turn right and look at the vertical cliff, beyond the information boards. There is evidence of erosion on the lefthand side.
3. What do you think happened to this section of cliff?
4. Upload a photo with the information board in the background. You can make it a selfie, GPSr device, carkeys or your pathtag. Logs without evidence will be deleted.
You can log this Earthcache after visiting. Please send me your answers within 10 days or your log may be deleted. Happy trails!