Ngarkat Conservation Park About
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<iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5L9VKK" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe> Ngarkat Conservation Park About Enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Ngarkat Conservation Park and take in the views over the park's 270,000 hectares of vegetated sand dunes, mallee and heath.The park abounds in wildlife. Look out for western grey kangaroo and emus and more than 120 species of birds. You may spot a rare malleefowl walking slowly among the trees. A number of walking trails give you the opportunity to see the wildlife and get a better appreciation of the vast mallee landscape. Enjoy the magnificent views from Tyms Lookout along a 2-3 hour hike. Early attempts to farm this country failed as seen by the ruins of early European pioneering settlements at Box Flat. Opening hours Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.* * The one way section of the Border Track is closed during the Fire Danger Season (usually 1 November until 31 March). This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger. Listen to the local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety. CFS website (http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/) CFS Hotline: 1300 362 361 Contact details Visitor information, bookings and park management: National Parks Wildlife Service South Australia Riverland and Murraylands Regional Office 28 Vaughan Tce, Berri Phone: (+61 8) 8595 2111 Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) Booking enquiries please email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) Emergency contacts: Medical, fire (including bushfire) and police emergency situations Phone: Triple Zero (000) Police Assistance Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – After-hours duty officer Phone: 0417 192 335 Injured Wildlife: Within the park Please contact the Riverland and Murraylands Regional Office on (08) 8595 2111 or the after-hours duty officer on 0417 192 335 (outside of business hours). Outside of the park Please contact a local wildlife rescue group When to visit August to September is the best time to visit Ngarkat Conservation Park come to life with beautiful wildflowers and active birds bouncing from tree to tree. December to February can be hot while May to July can reach temperatures in the negative degrees. If visiting during these periods, ensure you are well prepared for the conditions. Getting there Ngarkat Conservation Park is located 34km south of Pinnaroo. Access is via Princes Highway. Alternatively take the Mallee Highway from Tailem Bend via Peake and Lameroo or Snozwells Road near Tintinara off the Dukes Highway. There are numerous unmarked tracks around Ngarkat that are used for servicing beehives. They are not for public access due to the risk of getting lost or disturbing the bees and the potential damage to vegetation. The 29km Border Track is restricted one-way from north to south. The track is closed annually during the Fire Danger Season (usually 1 November until 31 March). Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are permitted in most public places and are therefore welcome in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assistance dogs must be appropriately restrained on a lead and remain under your effective control at all times while in a park or reserve. As per the dogs in parks and reserves policy, if the dog is not an accredited assistance dog, they must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate that disability and meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a dog in a public place. However, refusal may be given if the person with the disability is unable to produce evidence the dog is an assistance dog with the appropriate training. Before taking your assistance dog into a park that does not normally allow dogs, it is highly recommended that you contact us so we can provide you with the latest information on any potential hazards within specific parks that may affect your dog. Please contact the park via the contact details provided under the contact tab or contact the visitor service centre via email (https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/contact-us/get-in-touch-online) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NPWSSA), or you can live chat with a customer service representative on the website Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Dogs not allowed Dogs are not permitted in this park. Discover which parks you can walk your dog in on our find a park (https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/find-a-park) tool or read 12 dog-friendly walks in Adelaide Parks (http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/goodliving/posts/2017/12/dogs-part- 2) by Good Living for inspiration. Facilities There are picnic areas, caravan sites, toilets and campgrounds with campfires located in this park. See the camping tab for more information on campground facilities and bookings. Plants and animals Plants An oasis in the wilderness, Box Flat fulfils an important role in the ecology of the sensitive mallee environment. With the opening rains falling between April and June, this area is transformed into a lush haven for wildlife. The flush of new growth provides an important food source for grazing animals, and a breeding area for waterbirds. The term 'mallee' has several meanings. 'The mallee' can either be used to define a plant community or an area in south-eastern South Australia. Mallee is also used to describe a tree. This is a multi-stemmed eucalypt tree that grows from a bulbous root called a lignotuber. There are approximately twelve different species of mallee in Ngarkat. The banksias that grow throughout much of Ngarkat Conservation Park produce large amounts of nectar. For many years the area has been the winter home of honeybees. A number of apiarists place hives among the banksias for a few months each year. Animals Opportunities to observe Western Grey Kangaroos and Emus coming in to water, as well as a huge diversity of birdlife will delight nature lovers and expose a new facet of the mallee for first time visitors. Frogs are an important group of animals which rely on this wetland and its seasonal wetting and drying cycles. These fascinating amphibians burrow into the mud seeking refuge from the scorching summer heat. They emerge to lay their eggs in the mud after rain. Tadpoles live in the flooded pools in winter and develop into frogs, thereby completing their lifecycle. The presence of frogs reflects the pristine nature of this ephemeral wetland ecosystem. Frogs are commonly used as an indicator species by ecologists worldwide to assess the health of an environment. Studies have shown that frogs are lacking from many ecosystems as a result of chemical use and modifications to flow regimes of wetland areas. Flora and fauna species lists To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the 'Create Simple Species List' tab under 'Flora Tools' or 'Fauna Tools' in NatureMaps (https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/NatureMaps/Pages/default.aspx). Useful information Remote area travel information (https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/parks/psa-gen- remoteareatravelinformation.pdf) Parks management plans (http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/park- management/plans-strategies-and-policies/park-management-plans) Trails SA (http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/) SA Marine Parks (http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/home) Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited There is no phone reception in, or surrounding, Ngarkat Conservation Park. Please purchase vehicle entry and camping permits online (/booking#Ngarkat%20Conservation%20Park) prior to arrival. Traditional owners Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state. There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations. At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners. In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave. Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia. DEW Park management (https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/park-management) DEW Aboriginal partnerships (https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/park-management/co-management-of-parks) European history Box Flat in the north-eastern corner of Ngarkat Conservation Park is a shady wetland area that attracted Aboriginal people long before European settlement. It is a very special location, which today enchants visitors with a feeling of peaceful isolation. Box Flat is an ephemeral wetland, which means it is seasonally inundated with water during winter and dries out in summer. This area was a favoured camping site for the local Aboriginal people due to the presence of water and abundant wildlife. During the years of pastoral occupation from 1871 to 1894, Box Flat was an outstation of Garra Station that was managed by Alan Baker. The main enterprise was sheep grazing, however many difficulties were encountered due to the impacts of wild dogs and competition by rabbits. The main walls and chimney of the three-roomed, local stone hut are all that remain in the park today. Access to these ruins is via a short walk from the day visitor car park.