- Cleland Conservation Park
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Cleland Conservation Park IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Nearest town/city Adelaide Coordinates 34°57′S 138°41′E / 34.95°S 138.683°E Area 9.92 square kilometres (3.83 sq mi) Established 1945 Managing authorities Department for Environment and Heritage Official site Cleland Conservation Park Cleland Conservation Park is a conservation park in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Adelaide City centre. Cleland Conservation Park conserves a significant area of natural bushland on the Adelaide Hills face and includes the internationally popular Cleland Wildlife Park and the popular tourist destinations of Mount Lofty summit and Waterfall Gully.[1]
Contents
Wildlife Park
Entrance at Park
People with EmusThe Wildlife Park is accessible by sealed road from both the South Eastern Freeway and Greenhill Road. It is also possible to walk on a formed but steep track from Waterfall Gully or Mount Lofty.[2] A limited public bus service operates (Route 823: 3 journeys each day).[3] A fee is payable to enter the Wildlife Park (but not to the Conservation Park except for car parking at Mt Lofty summit).
Cleland Wildlife Park offers visitors an opportunity to walk through large enclosures and thereby interact with Australian animals such as kangaroos, koalas and emus, and to see others including wombats, dingos and many bird and reptile species. The park also has a variety of rare and endangered species such as the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, Bush Stone-curlew and Brush-tailed Bettong.
Facilities include a souvenir shop, cafe and toilets. Many visitors pay to be photographed holding koalas.[4] Several other options are available to visitors, including an Aboriginal guide on a Cultural Tour of the Yurridla Aboriginal Trail, which explains dreaming stories of dingoes, emus, koalas and Yurrabilla, the creation ancestor, and a nightwalk, uncovering the secrets of the bush.
Opening times are from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily (except for Christmas Day) with no admission after 4.30 p.m. Admission prices range from A$14–$28.
Mount Lofty summit
See also: Mount LoftyThis popular tourist destination is 727 metres (2,385 ft) above sea level. It provides sweeping vistas across the Adelaide Plains and Gulf St Vincent. Flinders Column, a white painted obelisk shaped like a lighthouse, is a landmark which can be seen from far away on a clear day.
Car parking facilities are provided: charges are payable. Public bus route 823 serves the summit with three journeys a day (including weekends and most holidays).[5]
Other facilities include an information centre/ souvenir shop, a cafe/restaurant (closed Mondays) and public toilets.
Waterfall Gully
See also: Waterfall GullyWaterfall Gully, another popular part of the park, is located on its western edge. It can be accessed via the sealed Waterfall Gully Road. A limited amount of free car parking is provided. There is no scheduled public transport service.
The main attraction is a waterfall, the largest of several in the park. The base is a short walk from the car park and the top can be reached by a formed but steep footpath, which continues to Cleland Wildlife Park and Mount Lofty summit.[6]
Other facilities include a kiosk/ restaurant and public toilets.
Other
By far the largest part of the park consists of bushland, mostly woodland with some open spaces where clearing has taken place.[7]
There are a number of walking trails, including the Waterfall Gully - Mount Lofty summit trail which is a popular and reasonably challenging ascent of the west side of Mount Lofty,[8] and parts of the long distance Heysen and Yurrebilla Trails, which run north–south along the higher ground in the east of the park.
Notes
- ^ http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/sanpr/clelandcp/index.html Retrieved 15-05-2009
- ^ http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/trails.asp?id=13811 Retrieved 15-05-2009
- ^ http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/ttsearch.php?action=search&searchtext=823 Retrieved 15-05-2009
- ^ "Example photo of visitor holding a koala". Photobucket. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb230/freakybomber18/DSC00137.jpg.
- ^ http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/ttsearch.php?action=search&searchtext=823 Retrieved 15-05-2009
- ^ http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/trails.asp?id=13811
- ^ A Hardy The Nature of Cleland 2nd Ed 1989
- ^ http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/trails.asp?id=13811 Retrieved 15-05-2009
Further Information
- A Hardy. The Nature of Cleland 2nd Ed. 1989
External links
Protected areas of South Australia National Parks Conservation Parks Acraman Creek · Billiatt · Black Hill · Cape Gantheaume · Cleland · Cox Scrub · Danggali · Deep Creek · Fairview · Finniss · Fort Glanville · Gum Laqoon · Kelly Hill · Hacks Lagoon · Hallett Cove · Horsnell Gully · Kaiserstuhl · Lake Gilles · Mamungari · Marino · Monarto · Morialta · Mount Magnificent · Naracoorte Caves · Ngarkat · Peebinga · Piccaninnie Ponds · Scott Creek · Seal Bay · Simpson Desert · Spring Gully · Talisker
Recreation Parks Regional Reserves Innamincka · Lake Frome · Nullarbor · Simpson Desert · Strzelecki
Conservation Reserves Wilderness Protection Areas Game Reserves Zoos, aquariums, and aviaries Types of zoos Conservation Lists Animals Other topics - Animals in captivity
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Categories:- IUCN Category III
- Parks in Adelaide
- Conservation parks of South Australia
- Wildlife sanctuaries of Australia
- 1945 establishments in Australia
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