Burning Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burning Mountain |
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| Mount Wingen | |
View of the summit
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 520 m (1,710 ft) |
| Prominence | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Burning Mountain
Location in New South Wales
Burning Mountain
Location in Australia
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| Topo map | Murrurundi 9034 (1:100000) Murrurundi 90324N (1:25000) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | walking track |
Burning Mountain, also known as Mount Wingen, is a special hill in New South Wales, Australia. It's about 224 km (139 mi) north of Sydney. You can find it near the town of Wingen, New South Wales.
This mountain gets its name because there's a slow-burning coal fire deep underground. This fire has been burning for a very, very long time! The mountain is part of the Burning Mountain Nature Reserve. This reserve is looked after by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
There's a walking path that leads from the car park to the spot where you can see smoke coming out of the ground. Along the path, there are signs that tell you more about this amazing place.
The Leyland brothers, who had a travel TV show, talked about Mount Wingen. They shared an interesting story from the Aboriginal people:
The Aborigines named the mountain Wingen, which means 'fire'. Their explanation of the origin of the burning mountain was that one day, a tribesman was lighting a fire on the mountainside when he was carried off deep into the earth by The Evil One. Unable to escape, he used his fire stick to set the mountain alight, so that the smoke might warn others to keep away.
Contents
The Underground Fire at Burning Mountain
The fire burning inside Burning Mountain is a coal seam fire. This means it's a fire that burns within a layer of coal underground. It's thought to be about 30 m (100 ft) deep.
How Long Has the Fire Been Burning?
Scientists believe this underground fire has been burning for about 6,000 years! This makes it the oldest known coal fire in the world. Imagine a fire burning for thousands of years without stopping!
Discovering the Secret of the Smoke
When European explorers first came to the area, they saw smoke rising from the ground. They thought it was coming from a volcano. However, in 1829, a geologist named Reverend C. P. N. Wilton studied the mountain. He was the one who figured out that the smoke was actually from a coal fire, not a volcano.
The Fire's Slow Journey
The fire is slowly moving underground. It travels in a southerly direction at about 1 m (3 ft) each year. Because of the heat from the fire, the soil on the surface has changed color. The ground in the area also looks uneven due to the burning happening below.
See also
In Spanish: Monte Wingen para niños
