Nimbin Rocks — Local services in Nimbin

The Nimbin Rocks are volcanic extrusions of rhyolite left over from the Mount Warning Tweed Volcano that erupted around 20 million years ago in what is now northern New South Wales, Australia.

As part of an eroded dyke of the volcano, the Rocks are situated just outside the present day caldera wall about 20 km from Mount Warning and three kilometers from Nimbin village. The three most prominent were named by early white settlers as the Thimble, Cathedral and Needle. They are an extremely significant cultural site to the local Bundjalung tribe of indigenous Australians who believe the rocks were home to the Nmbngee, or Clever Men. They were also initiation grounds for young boys and the dreaming story can be read at the Nimbin Museum.

The Nimbin Rocks are comprised mainly of the quartz rich volcanic rock called rhyolite overlying a section of agglomerates (reworked volcanic rock) and volcanic glass known as perlite. Below the perlite lies basalts of the Kyogle Basalt. And here may lie the clue. The rocks appear to be layered because they are deposited on top of each other. First the Kyogle Basalt, then the perlite and agglomerates and then the rhyolite lavas (with some bands of perlite within it). The rhyolitic lavas are referred to as the Georgica Rhyolite Member according to Duggan and Mason (1974), or historically and more recently as Nimbin Rhyolite according to McElroy (1962) and Cotter (1998) and others.

If the Nimbin Rocks were related to a dyke they would have formed through pushing through the surrounding rocks such as those of the Kyogle Basalt or the Clarence Moreton Basin sediments, metamorphosing them and displaying different diagnostic textures than those I know about. However, it is still quite possible that the rocks may have been vents since the nearest identified vents seem to be about 8km away to the north east in the Nightcap Ranges and rhyolite lava flows tend to not move great distances, indeed rarely greater than 5km. However, the vents located further into the Nightcap Ranges are characterised by thick erosion resistant units of rhyolite which we don't see so much near Nimbin other than the Nimbin Rocks themselves. But conversely, the shape of the rock monoliths does...

"NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO THE NIMBIN ROCKS"

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGN AS THERE IS ABSOUTELY NO ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC OR ANYBODY FOR THAT MATTER AS THE NIMBIN ROCKS IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY - SO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO NOT ENTER THE PROPERTY AS ALL PEOPLE FOUND DRIVING WILL BE POLITELY ASKED TO TURN AROUND AND LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.. AGAIN THERE IS ABSOUTELY "NO ACCESS" ALLOWED TO PUBLIC OR LOCALS TO THE NIMBIN ROCKS. YOU CAN VIEW THE ROCKS FROM NIMBIN ROAD ALSO A NICE VIEW ON STONY CHUTE ROAD AS...

You can see the Nimbin Rocks along the road to Nimbin, there are a few pull in places along the road to stop and take pictures, it is worth the trip as its very pretty. . Nimbin it's self, won't be for everyone. However, if your a hippy or a new age person then this is a must go to spot for you. It will more than likely have everything you could need. . The markets there are small, but if you want a tarot reading or something like that, you will be able to get one there or even in the...