7.3 High level terraces and fans

7. Eastern Plains (EP)

7.3.1 Plains without dunes (Darnum, Loy Yang, Giffard, Leongatha South, Munro plains)
7.3.2 Plains with dunes (Woodside, Longford, Munro plains with dunes)
7.3.3 Dissected plains (Yallourn North, Inverloch)
7.3.4 Dissected plains with dunes (Nowa Nowa)
7.3.5 Dunefields (Gormandale, Wonthaggi South, Liptrap)
7.3.6 Terraces on bedrock (Mallacoota)

The high level terraces and fans are the dominant feature of the landscape south of the La Trobe River east of the Southern Uplands. Other extensive areas occur between Bairnsdale and Mallacoota, around Darnum, Yallourn North, Churchill and south of Leongatha. These high level terraces are arbitrarily sub-divided into plains and dissected plains, and both mostly comprise Neogene and Early Quaternary sediments largely derived from the Eastern Uplands. Areas of these terraces are covered with dunefields, some as a result of blown coastal sand, e.g. south of Wonthaggi, north of Cape Liptrap and areas between Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota, and others as a result of reworked coarse Neogene sediments (e.g. east of Gormandale). It is considered that these sands were mobilised during the dry, cold and windy conditions associated with past glacial periods.

Between Sale and Bairnsdale and Sale to Yarram the climate is sub-humid to humid, with annual rainfall between 500 to 700 mm. Closer to Melbourne the annual rainfall is higher, generally more than 700 mm.

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