Watarrka National Park Petermann [1] , Northern Territory | |
---|---|
Nearest town or city | Yulara |
Coordinates | 24°16′47″S131°33′30″E / 24.27972°S 131.55833°E |
Established | 31 July 1989 [2] |
Area | 1,051.85 km2 (406.1 sq mi) [2] |
Visitation | 257,500 (in 2018) [3] : 3 [4] |
Managing authorities | Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory |
Website | Watarrka National Park |
See also | Protected areas of the Northern Territory |
Watarrka National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia, which contains the popular Kings Canyon (Watarrka).
The park is located about 1,316 km (818 mi) south of Darwin and 323 km (201 mi) southwest of Alice Springs. [3] : 3
Watarrka National Park was established in 1989, on the traditional lands of the Matutjara people. [5] It is named after the Aboriginal (Luritja and Arrernte [6] ) name for Kings Creek and Canyon watarrka (pronounced what-ARR-kah [7] ). This is the Luritja word for the local umbrella bush (Acacia ligulata) that grows in the vicinity. [8]
The park was established on land owned by England-born Jack Cotterill and his two sons, Jack and Jim, who opened it up for tourism from their property, Wallara Ranch. [9]
The national park is categorised as an IUCN Category II protected area. [2] On 25 March 1986, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate. [10] [11]
It contains the popular Kings Canyon (Watarrka) at the western end of the George Gill Range and Kathleen Springs, around 21 km (13 mi) to the southeast of Kings Canyon. [5]
In 1986, Kings Canyon was described by the Department of Environment as follows: [10]
One of the most spectacular canyons in Central Australia. Kings Canyon contains some 60 rare or relict plant species and a total of 572 different plant species and 80 species of birds. It is a 'living plant museum' and is notable for its stands of cycads & permanent rock pools. There are some well-preserved Aboriginal paintings and engravings in the area...
The Northern Territory is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the territory looks out to the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Western New Guinea and other islands of the Indonesian archipelago.
Mary River National Park is an Australian national park located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) east and stretching to the southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The protected areas of the Northern Territory consists of protected areas managed by the governments of the Northern Territory and Australia and private organisations with a reported total area of 335,527 square kilometres (129,548 sq mi) being 24.8% of the total area of the Northern Territory of Australia.
Djukbinj National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located about 66 km (41 mi) east-south-east of the territory capital of Darwin.
Finke Gorge National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located about 1,318 kilometres (819 mi) south of the territory capital of Darwin. The national park covers an area of 458 km2 (177 sq mi), and includes the desert oasis Palm Valley, home to a diverse range of plant species, many of which are rare and unique to the area. There are good opportunities for bushwalking and bushcamping in the national park.
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia. The park is home to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It is located 1,943 kilometres (1,207 mi) south of Darwin by road and 440 kilometres (270 mi) south-west of Alice Springs along the Stuart and Lasseter Highways. The park covers 1,326 square kilometres (512 sq mi) and includes the features it is named after: Uluru and, 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its west, Kata Tjuta. The location is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for natural and cultural landscape.
Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Warumungu about 105 km (65 mi) south of Tennant Creek, and 393 km (244 mi) north of Alice Springs. The nearest settlement is the small town of Wauchope located 9 km (5.6 mi) to the south.
Howard Springs Nature Park is a 286 hectares protected area located 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Darwin, Northern Territory. A suitable habitat for waterfowl of the Northern Territory, it also has swimming areas and walking trails. The actual Springs became important in 1910 when they came under consideration as a solution to Darwin's unreliable water supply.
The Luritja dialect is the language of the Luritja people, an Aboriginal Australian group indigenous to parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is one of several dialects in the Western Desert language group.
Kings Canyon, also known as Watarrka, is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about 321 kilometres (199 mi) southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 kilometres (818 mi) south of Darwin, within the Watarrka National Park.
Acacia ligulata is a species of Acacia, a dense shrub widespread in all states of mainland Australia. It is not considered rare or endangered. Its common names include sandhill wattle, umbrella bush, marpoo, dune wattle, small coobah, wirra, and watarrka.
Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Ghan.
Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, once a cattle station known as Newhaven Station is an Australian nature reserve. It lies around 300–400 kilometres (186–249 mi) north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is jointly operated by Birds Australia and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, formerly known as The Breakaways Reserve or simply The Breakaways, is a protected area in northern South Australia, just off the Stuart Highway 33 km (21 mi) north of Coober Pedy.
Larapinta Drive is a designated state route in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The Kelly Hills are a mountain range at the southern end of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the locality of Petermann directly north of the Musgrave Ranges and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northeast of Amaṯa in South Australia. Its highest point is about 870 metres (2,850 ft) above sea level. Mount Robert, at the eastern end of the range, is about 796 metres (2,612 ft) above sea level. The area is known as Aputjilpinya in the native Yankunytjatjara language. It forms part of an important Mala Dreaming track that runs between Uluṟu and Ulkiya.
Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve is a protected area located south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory in Australia. The reserve was established in 1990 to protect the unique sandstone formations and the Aboriginal art, artifacts and sacred natural objects within an area of 24.83 km2 (9.59 sq mi) around a large sandstone bluff. The sandstone layers in the main formation resemble the coloured stripes of a rainbow, with the red-orange hues of sandstone that is rich with iron creating a strong contrast with the lighter shaded sandstone that turns pale yellow or gold in the late day sun as it shines on the northwest-facing cliffs.
Moana Sands Conservation Park is a protected area located in the suburb of Moana in South Australia about 35 kilometres south of Adelaide. It was proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 1985 for the purpose of conserving a ‘significant Aboriginal cultural heritage site' associated with the Kaurna people.’ A statement of significance published after the park's dedication in 1985 advises: ‘prehistoric significance ’ and ‘unusual red sands.’ The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category III protected area.
Vernon Islands Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Vernon Islands about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-east of the territory capital of Darwin.
N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia consisting of an area of low sand dunes, rocky outcrops, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) east of Alice Springs. It is significant principally because of thousands of Indigenous rock carvings.
...Traffic counters located along Luritja Road at two separate entry points...
Kings Canyon National Park, …72,400 ha, located 325 km west of Alice Springs