Dinosaur Dig, VICTORIA
Airing Date: Nov 11th, 2002
For almost a decade students of Monash University have excavated a stretch of coast near Inverloch in Victoria. By joining a Dinosaur Dreaming Tour, visitors can get in on the action too.
Inverloch is about a two hour drive from Melbourne and about ten minutes from Inverloch is Flat Rocks, whre the dinosaur digs take place.
Over the past ten years excavators have recovered over 9,000 bones from the area. A 90 minute excavation tour allows visitors to get involved in the recovery process too.
The 9,000 bones that have been retrieved are up to 120 million years old. As most of the bones and teeth have been preserved in rocks, the process of removing them is meticulous. Participants spend the hour and a half rummaging through scattered piles of rocks, called erratics, in search of valuable pieces of the past.
All recovered pieces of bone and tooth, no matter how small they are, have to be given to the onsite expert guide to analyse, as even the smallest pieces are important.
The recovered pieces are then sent to Monash University Science Centre to be studied.
Despite the large number of individual pieces that have been found, the excavators are yet to rebuild a complete skeleton.
A recent discovery was a small piece of bone from the shin of an Ankylosaurus, one of the plant eating dinosaurs of the area.
After handing over recovered pieces, visitors often want to take something home to commemorate their experience. Inverloch is the place to buy souvenirs. The Sea Shed sells age old fossils, and the Bunnarong Environment Centre houses a great dinosaur display.
The Beach Box Caf positioned across the street has some delicious Stone Age dishes on the menu. Kids are sure to love the Brontosaurus burgers. Patrons even get to choose between vegetarian and carnivore varieties.
The Wonthaggi Pub, just 10 minutes out of town, displays the jawbones of a 25 metre whale. The animal was washed onto the beach in 1923.
It doesnt take much digging around to find a good place to stay in Inverloch. The Sandymount Bed and Breakfast offers affordable accommodation with breakfast included in the price.
The facts:
Qantas flies to Melbourne daily from all capital cities. Prices start from $240 ex Sydney and $495 ex Perth. Prices include charges and taxes.
Qantas
Tel: 13 13 13
Out There Outdoor Adventures
Tel: 03 5956 6450
Rooms at the Sandymount Bed and Breakfast start from $140 per night including breakfast.
Sandymount B & B
Tel: 03 5674 1325
Ninety minute Dinosaur Dreaming Tours run at low tide on weekends and cost $12 for adults and $9.50 for kids.
The Sea Shed sells age old fossils for around $38.
Admission to the Bunnarong Environment Centre's dinosaur display is $1 for kids and $2 for adults.
The beef burgers at the Beach Box Caf cost around $8.
Inverloch Visitor Information Centre
Tel: 03 5671 2233
