Gawler Ranges National Park Seasonal Conditions

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Gawler Ranges National Park Seasonal conditions

Gawler Ranges National Park is located in South The climate of the Gawler Ranges is mild to hot Gawler Ranges Australia’s spectacular southern Gawler Ranges, in summer and cool to cold in winter with low, approximately six hours drive north-west from unreliable rainfall (mean annual rainfall is 295 mm). National Park Adelaide. The 166 000 ha reserve is 40 km north of Mean daily maximum temperatures range from the Eyre Highway and is accessible via the road 34°C in summer to 19°C during winter. The best time from Iron Knob, Kimba, Wudinna or Minnipa. Services of year to visit the park is in winter and spring. are not available in the park and water is a scarce commodity. Visitors must provide for their own needs Aboriginal history for the duration of their stay including adequate water, fuel and firewood. Little information is available concerning Aboriginal occupation and use of the Gawler Ranges area. At The park comprises the former Paney Station, and the time of European settlement in South Australia, areas of Pine Lodge and Scrubby Peak stations. the Wirangu and Parnkalla (or Pankala) peoples Paney was one of the earliest pastoral holdings in occupied the Gawler Ranges. The Wirangu were to the Gawler Ranges. The name, which was given the west of Lake Acraman and the Parnkalla’s lands by Stephen Hack in 1857, is thought to be of extended east to Mount Brown and south-east to Aboriginal origin. Franklin Harbor. The Parnkalla included two groups. A scenic landscape One of these groups, the Malkaripangala, lived in the Gawler Ranges area. The scenic Gawler Ranges consists of volcanic Pastoralism displaced Aboriginal people from their rock hills over 1500 million years old. The extensive traditional lands, many going to the government exposure of volcanic rhyolite known as organ pipes, depot at Fowers Bay and others to Port Lincoln. is one of the largest in the world. The vast hill and gully complexes, with rocky gorges and seasonal water flows, create a stunning landscape of natural beauty. Many of the hills in the park are over 400 metres above sea level with Nukey Bluff the highest peak at 465 metres. Ancient rivers defined a well-developed drainage system but alluvial material has now filled these valleys to considerable depths. There are no permanent streams in the park. In the south of the park (and in the 130 000 ha Pinkawillinie Conservation Park which adjoins to the south) are old dune ridges, which are common over much of upper Eyre Peninsula.

Crimson Mallee Eucalyptus lansdowneana var landsdowneana

www.environment.sa.gov.au www.environment.sa.gov.au 2

Pastoral history Visiting the park Exploring the park

The explorer Edward John Eyre was the first Entry and camping permits are required in The dramatic scenic beauty, abundant wildlife Gawler Ranges National Park. Permits are available European to visit the Gawler Ranges in September and seasonal wildflowers attract many visitors to from self registration stations within the park. 1839. He named the ranges after George Gawler, the Gawler Ranges. The park and surrounding Fees collected are used for conservation and then governor of South Australia. Although it was district offers excellent touring opportunities for to maintain and improve park facilities for your spring, Eyre had difficulty finding water, even under high ground clearance 2WD and 4WD vehicles, ongoing enjoyment. the very high rocky ranges. It was in the southern and includes features such as Mount Wudinna, the Gawler Ranges that Eyre first saw Sturts Desert Pea Visitors should keep to designated tracks (as shown Organ Pipes and Lake Gairdner. Swainsona formosus: “… a most splendid creeping on the map). The majority of tracks within the park Other activities include camping, bushwalking plant … and very beautiful”. are recommended for high clearance 4WD vehicles and passive nature study. Guided adventure tours only. However, high ground clearance 2WD vehicles Eyre was not impressed with the country, but are also operated privately in the Gawler Ranges. may access some areas. All tracks and roads can pastoralists did take up land here after Stephen Permission must be obtained prior to entering or become impassable in wet conditions. Avoid vehicle Hack’s survey of the ranges. camping on neighbouring pastoral leases. travel when conditions are wet. Paney became a pastoral property in the early There are currently no marked walking trails in the Bush camping is available in designated areas 1850s but the first official lessees were Andrew Gawler Ranges National Park. Bushwalkers going within the park. Minimal facilities are provided. M. Wooldridge and John Hirst in 1864. It was a on long walks must notify a responsible person of Small camp fires are permitted in designated successful pastoral partnership, aided by the their route and anticipated time of return. Be sure to areas except when fire bans apply. Wood fires are discovery of a good supply of fresh water in 1865. wear protective clothing, and take a suitable map, prohibited during the Fire Danger Season usually 1 A police camp was established near Old Paney compass, first aid kit, food and adequate water November to 31 March. Check CFS hotline 1300 362 homestead in about 1864 but was transferred to with you. 361. Visitors must not collect firewood from within the Yardea in 1871. park. Chainsaws are prohibited. Flora and fauna Pastoralism in the region improved after the erection of a vermin-proof fence around Yardea, The dramatic variations of habitat and land system Thurlga, Paney, Pondanna, Yarloo and part of types that occur within the park make the area Mount Ive stations. home for many species of fauna, including a Paney became part of James G. Moseley’s Yardea particularly diverse bird life. The area is an interface station in 1904 and was later incorporated into between the Eyre Peninsula mallee country and Thurlga before being separated in 1977. Paney, the drier arid zone to the north of the ranges. along with the smaller Pine Lodge and a section Plants and animals from both zones occur in the of Scrubby Peak Station in the north-west, was Gawler Ranges. proclaimed as Gawler Ranges National Park in The park is home to about twenty-one rare and January 2002. threatened species including the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby, Central Long-eared Bat, Sandhill Dunnart, Malleefowl, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Honey Myrtle, Woolly Spinifex, and the locally endemic Crimson Mallee. Surveys have recorded over 400 different native plants and animals including 225 plant, 33 reptile, 3 frog, 126 bird and 18 mammal species.

Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata

www.environment.sa.gov.au 3 Sites of interest

Historic sites in the park include the Old Paney Homestead, Policemans Point precinct, Stone Dam, and Pondanna Outstation, where agriculture Mount Centre was attempted early last century. The Friends of 398m Gawler Ranges National Park have restored the house at Pondanna Outstation and this house is now available for hire. For more information and To Yardea bookings, phone (08) 8680 2090. and Iron Knob Old Paney Homestead Notable landmarks include Paney Bluff, Mount Allalone, Mount Sturt, Conical Hill and Scrubby Peak. Eureka Kododo Hill Pondanna Bluff Other scenic sites of interest include Kolay Mirica 413m Outstation 431m CK RA

T L Falls, The Organ Pipes and Yandinga Gorge.

P Conical

D Hill L L T A HI y R O L a A W A R e IC n C Mount CON O K

Granite A 310m E D

R A GAWLER RANGES Y Scrubby –

Peak

A NATIONAL PARK P

I Kolay Hut

N 465m N Yandinga I Mattera Nukey

Organ M campground Pipes Paney Hill Bluff 454m

Kolay Mirica Old Paney Policemans K Falls C Homestead Point A

Stone Dam Paney K

C T Bluff Chillunie A

U R A R campground TTER T A M K Mount Double E

Y 444m

P L F

L L D AT

P T A R To Minnipa N A E C Y K

‘Paney’ and S C Park Office E NI C R O Shearing U K TE shed C Park boundary A R T To Kimba Standley Flat

2WD track Mount Allalone

348m

4WD track n S O Waulkinna Hill T R Waganny 362m U Lake, mainly dry T campground

Mount Campground This track is D Sturt A closed during O R

the fire ban Self-registration station Rhyolite at season

Kolay Mirica Falls

Hut

Building S N R A PINKAWILLINIE B CONSERVATION PARK 0 kilometres 5 10

To Wudinna

www.environment.sa.gov.au 4 For further information contact: The National Parks Code Location map Department of Environment and Natural Resources GAWLER Lake Gairdner 75 Liverpool Street Help protect your national parks by following RANGES National Park these guidelines: NATIONAL PO Box 22, Port Lincoln SA 5606 PARK • Leave your pets at home. Phone (08) 8688 3111 Fax (08) 8688 3110 • Take your rubbish with you. Website www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/ • Observe fire restrictions, usually 1 November IRON KNOB to 31 March. Check CFS Hotline 1300 362 361. Phone Information Line (08) 8204 1910 Pinkawillinie MINNIPA • Conserve native habitat by using liquid fuel Conservation to Port Augusta Email [email protected]

or gas stoves. WUDINNA Park Lake Gilles Website www.parks.sa.gov.au Conservation KYANCUTTA Eyre • Respect geological and heritage sites. KIMBA Park Highway • Keep wildlife wild. Do not feed or disturb animals or remove native plants. Cover: Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Cacatua leadbeateri © Department of Environment and Natural Resources • Keep to defined vehicle tracks and June 2010 • FIS 90779 walking trails. • Be considerate of other park users. Thank you for leaving the bush in its natural state for the enjoyment of others.

Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus