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ramed by the craggy rim of I Preoiouspage Nature'sWndow on the plateauin I Marn.'Nature's Window above the KalbarriNational Park, the landscape I MurchisonRiver gorge-th€ most photographedlocation in Kalbarri sweepspast Murchison the Riverand NationalPark. across the sand plains to a sharp, Photo- Jiri Lochman shiftinghorizon. Captivated,people return to the lBelou: PoI Nleywith the spectacular I ZuytdorpCliffs in thebackground. Parkagain and again. All aredrawn by I Photo- JiriLochman the drama of the coastalcliffs, tle wildflowersin springand the towering, silentriver gorges. plateauwas raised and the Murchison with 11 pairs of legs-are also However,the Park'spopularity has River moved inexorably through, entombedthere. fu theyscuttled about reacheda stage where impacts are slicing a gorge to expose the under the harsh sun from one becomingapparent. Increased traffic, extraordinaryTumblagooda Sandstone. waterpoolto another,these ancient life visitorsites that arefrequently full, and The contrast of the bands of formsleft footprintsin the wet surface. a lack of room to expandhave led the brownishred and purple againstthe Sandstorms rained over the imprints, Departmentof Conservationand Land bandsof whiteis oneof thewonders of coveringand preservingthem, to be Management(CALM) to preparea 10- the park and draws thousandsof revealedonly by theMurchison River as yearplan of managementfor the Park. visitors each year. Unknown to many, it carvedits slow,steady path through however,are the tracesof other,long- the rock. IN THE FIRSTPLACE completedlives. Deeply embedded in Alongthe coastaldune belt, south of Thevastness of the spectacleoffered the layersare some of the earliestsigns the river mouth in the Ballineregion, by KalbarriNational Park has its origins of animallife on earth,including the areyounger, rolling sandplains. These in an ancientgeology that reachesback peculiar burrows of a worm called wereformed 10,000 to 1.5million years some 430 million years. From that Skolithos. Other prehistoric agowhen dunes swept over and settled time, successivelayers of sandwere arthropods-amphibiouscreatures like on ThmalaLimestone. depositedin what is now knownas the scorpionsthat grew up to two metres In a fringebehind the coastal strip is \iictoria Plateauregion of the park. long-and euthycarcinoids-large the Wttecarra region, a yellow and Much later,50 million yearsago, the animals that resemblecockroaches whitesand plain studded with outcrops
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30 unosco"u | frrgfr..The red andwhite bandsof I TumblagoodaSandstone were I depositedover 400 million yearsago Photo- DennisSarson/Lo.t""* if"".r*?"ii*
I Belowleft: Skolithos,a Silurianworm, I createdthese lube-like structures 400 I million yearsago. Photo- DennisSarson/l,ochman Tfanspalencies
I Below right: Fossilisedtracks of I prehistoricarthropods are clearly I visibleon the sandstonesurfaces of the gorge. Photo- Jiri Lochman
of red,porous laterite formed about two million years ago. Here, too, older sedimentarydeposits lie largelybeneath the surface.They protrudeas whrre, chalkycliffs on the north side of the rivervalley, and cap Meanarra Hill. W]NDANDWATER Therugged coastline ofthe Kalbarn National Park, approximately 20 kilometres long, withstands the pounding of the sea during winter storms and summer winds. The limestoneabsorbs most of the energy, but the erosion processcontinues. Severe storms and accompanying surgescan lift sea levelsabove the fringing reef and. like king waves, threatenpeople usinS the cliffs. Rainin the coastalregion is light- 400mm is the averageannual fall-but there are other sourcesof water that nourish speciesand ecosystemsand provide recreationalopportunities for \DGETATION Severalspecies exist only in the visitors. Park, mainly on coastalcliffs and in The The renownedwildflower display in sourceof the MurchisonRiver the gorge country, including the Kalbarri National Park varies both is450 kilometres inland from Kalbarri, Kalbarri leschenaultia(Lechmaultia accordingto thesoil and the season and and it is one of the only riversin the chlorantha\ and someof the orchids. area year is madeup of morethan 800 species of to flowmost ofthe round.But As a tribute to the richnessof the both southernand northernflowering such constancy belies enormous flora in the Parlg severalspecies have plants.From July throughspring, the variabilityin the river'sflow, due to beennamed for Kalbarri. Theyinclude coastal sand plain explodes cyclesof drought and flood. lndeed, in a the Kalbarri catspaw (Anigozanthos duringthe continuingblaze of colour,set off by late 1970sand early1980s, kalbarriensis), Kalbarri fringe lily two WesternAustralia's floral emblem, of the largest annual flows on the (Thysonotuskalbarriansis) and Kalbarrr record red and green paw occurred,but there were also kangaroo boltlebrush(Calothamrus kalbarriens (Anigozanthos isl two successiveyears without the usual marglesii\, the whue amongthem. seasonalflows. plume grevillea(Greuillea leucopteris), Elsewhere,on low hills in the park, Below the prickly plt:me grevillea (Greuillea the surfaceis Kalbarri'swater acacia-melaleucathickets and patches supply.The Tumblagooda annuliferal, Sandstone and smokebushesand of malleecan be found where the soilis providesabundant waterfor wellsand starflowers.More than 40 speciesof heavier.The sand plain on the northern boresand is replenished by rainfall, orchidshow in Juneand July, while the side of the Murchison River also river flows and leakage from other featherflowers (Verticordia spp.) comprisesscrub heath, but, on ridgesof sedimentarydeposits. predominatein Octoberand November. sand, cypress ftees (Actinostfobus
Lq,,scopa3l arenarius),sceptre banksia {Banftsta sceptruml andwoodypear (Xalomelum augustifolium) thri! e. The rocky gorgesand deePvalleYs are covered with iam (Acacia acuminatol and Jacksonia cupulifera scrub and small rock sheoaktrees (Allocasuarina huegeliana). River rcd,gum (Eucalgptus camaldulensis) and swamp sheoak(Casuarina obesa\ along with occasional northern bottlebrush (Callistemonphoeniceus) line the riverand lower flats. FAUNA A healthy, diverse habitat can support a wide range of animal species, and this is so for Kalbarri NationalPark. ln particular,reptiles and birds abound. The ant-eating thorny detil (Moloch horridus), looking ferocious and lumbering despite its mere nine centimetres,thdves amongst a varied population of skinks, including Ctenotus spp., Cryptobleharus spp-, Cgclodomorphus spp., and goannas
I lop.'The splendidwren is oneof the I manybirds supported by the greatplant I diversityof ItalbarriNational Park. Photo- RaoulSlater/Inchman Transparencies
l.46ouerThe MurchisonRiver gorge I providesopportunities for remote I bushwalking,rock climbingand abseiling,as well ascanoeing and rafting on the river itself. Photo- Jiri lachman
I lef. The Kalbarrisand plains are I renownedfor their brilliantwildflowers. I Photo- AnnStorrie
32 ^roscope (Varanusspp.), one of the bestknown PEOPLEAND THE PARK River estuary remainedunder the care goanna. beingthe racehorse Thebobtail The relationship of peopleand the of the crown. Peoplefortunate enough (Tiliqua or shinglebacklizard rugosa) environmentis ofcentral importanceto to live in the town are flankedby the sea is common,along with its relative,the the future management of the park. on one side and the national park, (Tiliqua western blue tongue lizard Opportunities to appreciate the gazettedin 1963,on the other. occipitalis).The snakecommunity in diversity of the landscape must be Since then, the future of the town the areais alsovery rich with variety, enhanced,while protecting those very has become even more closely tied to gwardar(Pseudonaja and includesthe elements that attract people to the that of the Park, with strong links nuchalis),the mulga snake,the little regron, establishedbetween CALM and local whip snakesand a rangeof other The town of Kalbarri officially came community groups such as the State specles. into existencein 1951.It incorporated EmergencyService, the VolunteerBush (Molurus Wrens spp.) and land resumed from the Murchison Fire Brigade,the Fire and Emergency honeyeaters lLichenostomus spp., HouseStation pastorallease as well asa SenricesAuthority and the police. As 'C' Phglidongris spp., Melithreptus spp. class water and fauna reservethat peoplecontinue to visit the area in and,Lichmera indistir?cta) are sustained was createdin 1910to ensurethat the increasing numbers, support for the plant by nectar,while willy wagtails freshwaterspring lining the Murchison Park from within the town expandsand (Rhipidura leucophrgs), thornbills (Acanthizaspp.), chats (Epthianura I The westernbearded dragon is often I Bolfom: ChinamansBeach, at the spp.)and woodswallows (r{rlamus spp.) I seensunning itself on the rocksof the I rnouthof theMurchison River, is a rely on abundantinsects for their r gorge. I popularfishing and swimming spot Photo Ann Storrie within Kalbani townsite. energy. Photo DennisSarson/Irchman Transparencies As in other parts of Western Australia,however, animal species in Kalbarri National Park have been adverselyaffected by foxesand feral cats. UnderWestern Shield, a CALM projectdesigned te reversethe impact of thesecreatures, it is expectedthat existingpopulations of affectedfauna will increase.Evidence of the successof this projectis seenin the increasing numbersof grounddwelling malleefowl (Leipoaocellata) found in the park.lt is alsoexpected that several species will be reintroducedto the area.These include the woylie (Bettongiapenicillata), the quenda (Isoodon obesulus) and tne tammar wallaby (Macropuseugenii\, a rare animal once found in healthy numbers in the Park. The last confirmedsighting of the blackflanked rock wallaby (Petrogale loteralis) within the MurchisonGorge by Park Rangerswas in 1997,and it is believed thatfox baiting will increasethe sizeof the population,making them more conspicuous. An additionalchallenge for natrve wildlifein the Parkhas been the threat from feral goats and pigs. Coats in particularoccupy the sameshelter sites as rockwallabies, displacing them and reducing the availableshelter they require,threatening the size of the populationwithin the park. A goatand pig eradication program has been conducted,most specificallyin the MurchisonGorge system, to combatthe problem,
tu*scorc 33 improves.The new Kalbarri airport, an those with greater levelsof fitnessand I Brillianlpanoramas are a featureof lhe upgradeof the PortCregory to Kalbarri experience,a three-dayhike to beyond I park.whether along lhe coasl or inland I goYge. road. improvedroads within the Ross Graham Lookout is an alongthe coast and Photo MarcMuller the Park, are major developments opportunity to more fully appreciate expected to increase the number of the diversity and wonder of the light, visitors, the landscapeand the wildlife. the result of gradual fracturing of the Kalbari National Park falls entirely A leisurely drive through the Park cliff, reflect fragility exposedby time. within the traditional country of the along the Kalbarri to Port Gregory Already CALM has prepareda Coastal Nanda people, who have a unique coast road is one of the favourite RecreationMaster Plan to ensure that association with the land. CALM holiday pastimesof visitors. From Red these sites can be enjoyed safely and continues to strengthen ties with the Blufl namedby Willem de Vlamingh in with minimum impact. traditional users of the land, and their 1697, the imposing Zuytdorp Cliffs Many school groups travel the 560 contribution to the ongoing exiend 200 kilometres to Shark Bay, kilometres from Perth, and further, for managementof the park will ensurethe while at Mushroom Rock there are adventure holidays spent hiking and protection of their cultural heritage. eerie, delicate shapessculpted by the camping. Rock climbers and abseilers The harsh climate, isolation and wind, the water and even worms. The can indulge their passion with a rugged terrain of Kalbarri National majestic panoramasof Pot Alley and licensed tour operator at the Z-Bend Park attract amateur and more Shellhouse and Grandstand contrast and Hawks Head. Canoesare available seasonedbushwalkers. Day trips around u'ith the quiet, shelteredbeach at the for guidedtours of the permanentwater the Loop and in the Z-Bendarea of the bottom of Eagle Gorge. Island Rock, holesin the gorgefor thosevisitors who river gorge both challenge and once part of the sea line but now a prefer a more unhurried meditative exhilarate even the more hardy. For solitary 'seastack', and Natural Bridge, venture. The exhilaration of Kalbarrr National Park is its uniqueness: its pristine, diverse and changing landscape, its opportunities for excitement and challenge, and its ability to link us with the past.
34 ^ro""o"u c5B.-lt5
VOIUMEFIFTEEN NUIVBER 2, SUMMER 1999_2OOO
COMMONGROUND R0BTHoMA' KETTH N0BLE & MANDyC1EWS...... 10 SAVINGTHE MALLEEFOWL SANDRAl\4CKENZIE & J0HN 81YTH...... 17 BALANCINGACT IANHERFORD, JOHN IRELAND & MANDYCLEWS. .-..,..,..,....,..22 "I'[hat I wasn't preparedfor wqs the magic of the etperience." See 'Desefi Impressiotrs on poge 35 for lhe slory of a LPNDSCOPEE qedition- Hou rnang seals or sea liorc are there DESERTIMPRESSIONS around WA\ coasts?See'A Taleof Tuo Seals'on page 42. A TALEOF TWO SEALS
THEDEFIANT SEED ANNEC0CHRANE...... 49
The malleefowl has declinedto 46 per cent of its fotmet range. Readabout the combinedeffort to saueit on page 17.
ENDANGERED cAl\4ER0NSCAVE EC0L0GtCAt CENTRE...... 53
URBANANTICS TWINKtE,TWTNKLE UTTLE STAR...... 54
' EnjoA the WAenuironment-and don't Troditional ouners are working with 'Balancing get hurt! See Act' on page CALMand other agenciesto manage 23. the page land. See 10. ExecutiveEditor: RonKawalalak ltlanaging Editor: RayBailey Editor: DavidGough story Editors:I\,landy Clews, Verna Costello. Sandra Toby, Carolynlhomson'Dan5 Scientilidte.hnical advice:Andrew Burbidge, Greg Keighery lanAbbott, Neil Burrowt Paullones and staff of CALMScienceDivision Designand production:TiffanyAberin, [4aria Duthie sue l\-4arais lllustration: Gooitsenvan der Meer. lan Dickinson Marketing: Estellede SanMiguel' (08)93340296Fax (08)9334 0498 Subs(riptionenquiries: d (08)9334 0481 or (08)93340437 ColourSeparation by Colourbox Diqital Printedin Westem Australia bv LambPrint @|SSN 0815-4465 Allmaterialcopyrighi. Nopad ofthe.ontents ol$e pubLkarion maybe reproduced wilhout the con3ent oftha publisheE Pleasedo notsendunsolicited materialto I,AfVDSCOPE, butfeelfree to telephonethe Editor VisitlAlVDSCOPf online on ouraward-winning Internet site NaturcBaseat httDi/ rt/wwcalm,wa.oovau Publishedby Departmentof Conservationand Land l\,4anagement DickPerry Avenue, Kensington, West€m Australia
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