Zuytdorp Cliffs

The Zuytdorp Cliffs extend for about 150 km along a rugged, spectacular and little visited segment of the Western Australian Indian Ocean coast from just north of the mouth of the Murchison River at Kalbarri, to Pepper Point south of Steep Point. The cliffs are situated in both the Gascoyne and Mid West regions of the state. At the highest point, near Womerangee Hill, the top of the cliffs are 250 m above the sea. They are named after a trading ship of the Dutch East India Company, the "Zuytdorp", that was wrecked against the cliffs in 1712.

Geology

The Zuytdorp Cliffs are composed of Pleistocene aged limestone, a formation called the Tamala Limestone. This limestone formed by the cementation of ancient calcareous sand dunes that accumulated near the coast during episodes of the last ice age. It has been inferred that the relatively straight edge of the cliffs is due to a major fault line just off shore.

References

* Hocking R.M., van der Graaff W.J.E., Blockley J.G., Butcher B.P. 1982. Ajana, Western Australia, 1:250 000 Geological Map Series, SG50-13, Explanatory Notes, Geological Survey of Western Australia. [http://geodocs.doir.wa.gov.au/document/documentSearchCriteria.do?from=topNav&cabinetId=1101 GSWA download search]