Here grow even some larger trees and many other plants, animals here are met more often than elsewhere. It is always recommended to travel in a 4WD vehicle due to the corrugations. "worstRating": 1, Dating techniques establish Wolfe Creek Crater as the older, at around 300,000 years, while Meteor Crater is about 50,000 years old. "url": "https://www.wondermondo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WolfeCreek-300x202.jpg" The true Wolf Creek story happened about two thousand kilometres from Wolfe Creek National Park, and not in Western Australia, but in the Northern Territory.. On July 14, 2001, British tourists Peter Falconio (then 28) and Joanne Lees (who in October 2006 finally launched her book, the only true story!) When travelling to Wolfe Creek be prepared for unsealed roads and always close access gates when travelling on the access road. Wolfe Creek crater is the second largest crater in the world (after Meteor crater in Arizona) where peaces of meteorite have been found. "author": { 2003. "@type": "GeoCoordinates", ... How to Recreate 1,300-Year-Old Cookies. Now we got the movie Wolf Creek out of the way, we can talk about the real deal: the Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater. Wolfe Creek Crater National Park, Halls Creek: See 50 reviews, articles, and 49 photos of Wolfe Creek Crater National Park, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 8 attractions in Halls Creek. Initial depth of crater was some 120 – 150 m. Later it was partly filled with sand and gypsum. "@type": "ImageObject", Meteorite Craters Around the World – throughout Earth’s history, meteorites have pummeled the planet’s surface. It is 2,799 feet (853 m) in diameter and 151 feet (46 m) deep, with a … }. Wolfe Creek Crater National Park, Halls Creek: Address, Wolfe Creek Crater National Park Reviews: 4.5/5 Scientists believe Wolfe Creek was formed by the impact of a meteorite as long as 300,000 years ago. Wolfe Creek Crater in Outback Australia was made popular by the Wolf Creek murder movie. In 1969 Wolfe Creek Crater was gazetted as a C class reserve. Wolfe Creek Crater National Park lies approximately 150 kilometres from Halls Creek via the Tanami Road and access road, a two to three hour drive. Geologists F Reeves and D Hart were the first non-Aboriginal people to come across this striking natural feature while conducting an aerial survey of the Canning Basin in 1947. Access: The turnoff to the Wolfe Creek Crater National Park is situated approximately 154 kilometres south of Halls Creek along the Tanami Road. Professor Tim Barrows from the University of Wollongong led an international team that found Wolfe Creek Crater was likely created from a meteorite impact 120,000 years ago. Rich finds of meteorites. 1982. The crater is mentioned in the 2010 children's science fiction book Alienology that says (in its universe) that a space craft crashed there. Some pieces have been well preserved, others have turned into "shale-balls" – up to 250 kg heavy clusters of balls from iron oxide. Dating has shown that the meteorite crashed to Earth around 300,000 years ago. Aboriginal art of this region often depicts the crater and rainbow snake. Wolfe Creek crater, WA, where Stuart Foster found the rock in 1973. As we traverse the amazing landscape and come to the edge of the desert you see Wold Creek Crater emerge on the landscape. Wolfe Creek è un cratere meteoritico (astroblema) situato nell'Australia Occidentale., Vi si accede attraverso la Tanami Road, a 105 km a sud della città di Halls Creek.Il cratere si trova al centro del Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater National Park. It would have weighed more than 50,000 tonnes and is thought to have been travelling at 15km a second, a speed that would have taken it across Australia in five minutes. Meteorite exploded when it hit the laterites and 700 – 800 million years old Precambrian quartzite. Nonetheless Wolfe Creek crater is highly unusual, magnificent natural landmark. Crater and its vicinities (even 3.9 km far from the crater) contain many pieces of meteoritic mass. This impact was caused by a meteorite consisting of iron and nickel – medium octahedrite (IIIAD meteorite). 22 kilometres of pristine white sand edged by the stunning turquoise water of the Indian Ocean. Those visiting the Wolfe Creek Crater will need to follow the Tanami Road, located about 150 km’s from Halls Creek. The Geological Society of America Special Paper 190, pp. The Wolfe Creek Crater access road travels through Carranya Station and is unsealed corrugated road through Carranya Station. "itemReviewed": { }, ©2020 Australia's North West. Almost circular, Wolfe Creek Crater (also known as Wolf Creek Crater) is considered the second largest crater in the world from which meteorite fragments have been collected. This giant Australian state is spectacular and very rich with diverse, unusual landmarks. Crater was noticed from air by geologists Frank Reeves, N.B.Sauve and pilot Dudley Hart in June 21, 1947. Meteorites & Meteorite Impact Craters Around the World, Kandimalal (local Djaru name), Wolf Creek crater. Frank Reeves named the crater after the adjacent Wolfe Creek, which in turn was named after Robert Wolfe – local prospector and storekeeper during the gold rush. Traditional Owners believe this circular crater was formed when a giant mythological snake raised its head from the ground back long ago at the time of creation. "@type": "Review", { "@type": "Person", From the turnoff, it is approximately 23 kilometres to the carpark. 39-55. In the central part of crater is located a white area with sediments of gypsum – traces of ephemeral lakes which appear after the rare summer rains. This category includes outstanding impact craters – detectable scars on the surface of Earth left by a body coming from outer space. Contact Halls Creek Travel & Tourism for up to date road conditions before travelling. In 1976 protection of the area was upgraded to the status of Class A Reserve. Climbing down into the crater is not permitted because the steep terrain and loose rocks make it dangerous. Aboriginal people understand many natural features, such as rivers and creeks, are the tracks left by giant ancestral snakes that once weaved their way across the desert. All access within the national park is on foot. Located in a remote part of Western Australia, on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert and about 145 kilometres from Halls Creek via the Tanami Road, Wolfe Creek Crater was formed by a meteorite estimated to be about 15 metres in diameter and weighing around 14,000 tonnes. All rights reserved. } Wolf Creek Crater, huge meteorite crater 65 miles (105 km) south of Halls Creek, Western Australia.The crater is on the edge of a little-explored desert and was first sighted from an airplane in 1937. Rims of crater are up to 40 degrees steep. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Sightseeing, walking, photography and nature observation are the most popular activities. Present depth of crater is up to 60 m below the rims and up to 25 m below the surroundings. Crater was created by more than 50 000 tonnes heavy meteorite less than 300 000 years ago. Wolfe Creek Crater is one of the most impressive impact craters on Earth, some 300 000 years old and up to 60 m deep. "ratingValue": 5 This meteorite fell with the fantastic speed – approximately 15 km per second. Geologists say they have discovered a large meteorite crater in outback Western Australia, which could be up to five times bigger than the famous Wolfe Creek Crater and … Two months later they reached the crater on ground. Wolfe Creek Crater and “Old Town” An extraordinary aerial tour to the edge of the Tanami Desert and the infamous Wolfe Creek Crater. Highlights of Western Australia are refuges of biodiversity in remote parts of desert, amazing cliff formations and unique aboriginal art. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Discover Wolfe Creek Crater in Sturt Creek, Australia: A stray meteor left this picturesque hole in the Australian outback. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. "latitude": "-19.1718", Wolfe Creek Crater is a well-preserved meteorite impact crater (astrobleme) in Western Australia. • Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater Nationalpark (Memento vom 14. In the center of the crater, the ground rises slightly. Local people even considered that it has been created by fallen star, the legend seems to tell a story about real meteorite impact! Viewing the crater rim is a must -  it's a 200 metre return walk to the top of the crater rim, involving a steep rocky climb. The ridge of the crater stands about 35 metres above the surrounding flat sand plain. Known as Kandimalal by the local Djaru Aboriginal … Average diameter (from rim to rim) of this crater is 875 m. Rims of crater rise 25 – 35 m above the surroundings. "@type": "TouristAttraction", "reviewRating": { "@type": "Rating", Facilities: There is a DPAW campsite with basic toilets, however you need to be totally self-sufficient for all your supplies. Category includes also meteorites – natural objects from the outer space. Wolfe Creek Crater is about 875 meters in diameter, with a flat bottom approximately 55 meters below the rim of the crater and 25 meters below the sandy plain outside the crater and had a mass of about 17,000 tonnes; the crater is estimated to be less than 120,000 years old. About 300,000 years ago a meteorite crashed into earth, which created the second largest crater in the world in which meteorite fragments have been found. These collisions have caused mass extinctions and even climate change on a global scale. In 1969 Wolfe Creek Crater was gazetted as a C class reserve. Generally in larger explosions the meteorite evaporates. Wolfe Creek Crater Road, Halls Creek, 6770. travelled on the Stuart Highway from Alice Springs in the direction of Darwin. Please note there is no water available. With more than 50 new photographs and updated illustrations, new and expanded appendixes, and some fun cosmic humor, Rocks from Space, Second Edition, journeys into the last frontier for close-up looks at the latest astronomical discoveries. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Google Earth - September 22, 2006 KML. relatively undeformed by erosion) meteorite crater known on Earth, after the famous Barringer Crater in Arizona. März 2012 im Internet Archive) The best time to visit the park is from May to October, when the weather is fine and temperatures are moderate. Using the same geochronological dating techniques, the researchers were also able to recalculate the age of the Meteor Crater in Arizona. According to legend sometimes a bright light shines from the crater, also the giant snake can be seen sometimes. This is the second largest meteorite crater on Earth. Horror film buffs might recognise Wolfe Creek Crater from the 2005 film Wolf Creek. Wolfe Creek Crater by: Kaye Wilde Hello Geoff, Besides the Bungles,the trip to Wolfe Creek Crater was definitely a highlight of our 18,000 km trip mid year. A visit to the second biggest crater to yield meteor fragments in the world, in Western Australia . Another legend tells that the rainbow snake named Kalpurtu came out from the underground through the crater (another rainbow snake meanwhile created the nearby Sturt Creek). It took Rene Boissevain 42 years to convince his friend to donate it to the museum - and just two weeks to be stolen The powerful explosion melted the rock and scattered impressive blocks of red-brown quartzite and pieces of meteorite around the crater. Read about the national park, a 300000 year old drama, and a recent one. The national park in which the crater is situated is }, Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater National Park. "name": "Wolfe Creek Crater", "name": "Wondermondo" }, Two previously unknown, very rare minerals have been discovered in this site – reevesite (named after Frank Reeves) and cassidyite (named after William A. Cassidy who mapped the crater). Conditions for life inside the crater are more beneficial due to porous ground, presence of water and shade. The outer edges slope at a gradual 15 degrees, but the much steeper inner walls fall away at about a 50 degree angle. Wolfe Creek Crater is one of seven sets of impact craters in Australia dating to within the last 120,000 years. This crater – Kandimalal – was well known to local Djaru people and is centrepiece of several local legends. Because of its excellent preservation, the crater clearly … As the star hit the ground, there was great explosion, flash and giant cloud of dust. The place White people call the Wolfe Creek crater is located in Jaru (also Djaru; spellings vary) country south of Halls Creek, North-West Australia. Evening star became too hot due to this and fell to the ground. The crater, believed to be the second largest in the world, was created about 300,000 years ago when an iron met­erorite weighing thousands of tonnes crashed to earth. in Algeria and Mauritania) are very impressive as well. Dating has shown that the meteorite crashed to Earth around 300,000 years ago. Wolf is a lunar impact crater that lies in the south-central part of the Mare Nubium, a lunar mare in the southern hemisphere of the Moon.It lies to the north-northwest of the walled plain Pitatus, and east-southeast of the prominent crater Bullialdus.It is named after the German astronomer Max Wolf.. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Australia’s Aboriginal people had long known about the crater near Wolfe Creek by the time an aerial survey identified it in 1947. They found it is likely to be 61,000 years … "image": { It was only 150Km down the Tanami Track, so we decided to totally change our plans and head out to the crater to have a look (as we wouldn’t be able to do it with the caravan in tow in a … Situated on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert is the second largest crater on Earth in which meteorite fragments have been found, the Wolfe Creek Crater.. Perhaps best known for its appearance in the two Wolf Creek films and the TV show, Wolfe Creek crater is one of the best preserved craters in the world, measuring 880 metres across.. Coordinate. These rust balls represent the deeply weathered remains of an iron meteorite that exploded when it collided with Earth about 300,000 years ago – … "geo": { 100-million-year-old Meteorite Crater Discovered in Australia Is One of the Largest in the World. Scenic flights over the crater can be booked in Halls Creek with Northwest Regional Airlines. I would certainly advise staying overnight, if only to experience the sunrise/sunset over the crater. A true outback odyssey on one of Australia’s most unique 4WD tracks. Expedition Cruising on the Kimberley Coast, 2021 Kimberley and Pilbara Holiday Planner, https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/wolfe-creek-crater. Hörz, F., Ejecta of the Ries crater, Germany. At the Visitor centre, we asked about the Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater. Hawke, P. J., Geophysical investigation of the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater, Geological Survey of Western Australia Record 2003/10. We learn in a scientific paper published in Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of Astronomy and Culture , that it is about 300,000 years old and is 850 x 900 metres in diameter. Despite the remoteness of its location about 145 kilometres south of Halls Creek, Wolfe Creek has long drawn ad­venturous grey nomads. } The Wolfe Creek crater has considerable claim to be the second most 'obvious' (i.e. The Crater is located south of Halls Creek along the Tanami Road in flat and arid country. This popular nontechnical introduction to the fascinating world of meteorites, asteroids, comets, and impact craters is now even better! "bestRating": 5, Geologists F Reeves and D Hart were the first non-Aboriginal people to come across this striking natural feature while conducting an aerial survey of the Canning Basin in 1947. The crater is known as Janyil in Jaru and as Karntimarlarl in Walmajarri. Scientists believe Wolfe Creek was formed by the impact of a meteorite as long as 300,000 years ago. This comparison is a matter of taste – the Pingualuit crater in Canada or Lonar crater in India are magnificent natural landmarks as well, several more craters (e.g. Explore the ancient gorges and spectacular landscapes of Karijini National Park. "longitude": "127.7955" According to this legend once upon a time a crescent moon and evening star passed each other too close.