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Para Wirra Recreation Park is a 1417 hectares (3,501.5 acre) national park located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges

Mount Lofty Ranges

The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains just to the east of Adelaide in South Australia.-Location and description:The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over before petering out north of Peterborough...

 near Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Para Wirra forms part of a larger, 2573 hectares (6,358 acre) block of contiguous native vegetation, the remainder of which is owned by the Woods and Forests Department, the Engineering and Water Supply Department and also by private landholders.

Location

Para Wirra Recreation Park is located in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, approximately 40km northeast of Adelaide CBD, and 19 km southeast of Gawler. The other close townships to the park are One Tree Hill to the south and Williamstown to the east.

Purpose

1. The preservation and management of wildlife

2. The preservation of historic sites, objects and structures of historic or scientific interest within the reserves

3. The preservation of features of geographical, natural and scientific interest

4. The destruction of dangerous weeds and the eradication or control of noxious weeds and exotic plants.

5. The control of vermin and exotic animals

6. The control and eradication of disease of animals and vegetation

7. The prevention and suppression of bushfires and other hazards

8. The encouragement of public use and enjoyment of reserves and education in, and a proper understanding and recognition of their purpose and significance

Facilities

• Information Centre/ Ranger’s Office

• Ted and Molly Hughes Conference Centre

• Barbecue sites

• Picnic areas e.g. lake area

• North Oval including a cricket pitch

• Walking trails

• Playground

• Toilets

• Accommodation

Major attractions and activities

- Native wildlife

- Astronomical/star gazing nights

- Bush walking

- Sight seeing

- Goldfields heritage

- Bird watching

- Voluntary weed control (contact the Para Wirra Office and/or Friends group)

- Dusk walks

- Abundant flora, including some rare species such as orchids

- Motor bike riding and cycling on selected tracks

- Walking pets

- Horse riding in a limited area

Educational value

Para Wirra Recreation Park’s educational value is invaluable. To name a few, this is because of:

- The unobstructed astronomy/star gazing

- Weed control with volunteer opportunities

- Preservation of native flora and fauna

- Natural bush setting

- Public education of bushfire management strategies

- Raising public awareness of having a sustainable balance between native areas and urban areas

- Adjoining Education Centre

Para Wirra Study Centre

The Para Wirra Study Centre is located in eucalypt woodland above the beautiful South Para River Gorge within the Para Wirra Recreation Park.
The Centre's facilities include a classroom, kitchen, gas fridge, oven, cooker, toilet block and bedrooms with plenty of mattresses making it suitable for an overnight stay. It is also suitable for day trips. Popular activities include camping, hiking, exploring the river environment and learning about the history of the area.
It is leased by the Trinity College from the Department of Environment and Heritage, and can be booked through the college. Please visit http://www.trinity.sa.edu.au/tc_environmentalstudy.html for further details and information.

Importance of Para Wirra Recreation Park

Para Wirra is not only important as an educational resource, but also for its conservation and recreation value. The boundary of Para Wirra is contiguous with, and forms part of a 2,573 ha block of native vegetation. As only twenty six percent (26%) of the Mount Lofty Ranges remains uncleared, a block of native vegetation of this size is important in terms of its representativeness of vegetation types, for the maintenance of diversity of animal and plant species, maintenance of water quality, and as a valuable recreational resource for the community. Para Wirra Recreation Park also provides a range of recreation opportunities consistent with its conservation significance and its importance and proximity to the expanding population of the northern metropolitan area.

Trails

Walking is one of the best ways to discover the beauty of Para Wirra Recreation Park. All trails are graded and timed. Trails include spectacular, invigorating and enlightening walks around the lakes, the goldfields, valleys, open woodland and rivers. More information can be obtained from pamphlets on Para Wirra Recreation Park from DEH. The contact details are listed below under the last heading in this article.

Accommodation

Accommodation arranged through the Senior Ranger ($30 per night) to stay in an ex-youth hostel which is a delightfully quaint and roomy Nissan Hut. All bookings can be made through the Para Wirra Office, phone (08) 8280 7048.

Vegetation

Para Wirra Recreation Park is predominately covered in eucalyptus; however there is a wide variety of vegetation types. Some of these include:
- Woodland
- Open Woodland (low open woodland)
- Low open forest
- Closed scrub
- Eucalyptus open scrub
- Melaleuca uncinata open scrub
- Melaleuca uncinate closed heath

Fauna

Para Wirra is crucial in conserving the native wildlife as much of it has been adversely affected by past agricultural and mining practices.

1. Mammals

Para Wirra Recreational Park supports a large population of Western Grey kangaroos. Sometimes Red kangaroos are observed. Other native animals not frequently observed in the park include the small nocturnal yellow-footed antechinus, the ant and termite eating short beaked echidna, the common ring-tailed possum and the brush tail possum.

2. Birds

There are over 120 species of birds recorded in the Para Wirra reserve. These include the emu which was introduced into the park in 1967. In the aquatic areas of the park birdlife includes the grey teal, Australian little grebe and cormorants. The South Para river and nearby woodland areas support birds such as white faced herons, black ducks, white-browed babblers, black-chinned honeyeaters and eastern spinebills. A range of birds occur throughout the park including such species as the common bronze wing, scarlet robin, black-faced cuckoo shrike, restless flycatcher, grey currawong, little raven and the new Holland honeyeater. White throated treecreepers, brown treecreepers and white-winged choughs are observed in the woodland areas while laughing kookaburras, red rumped parrots and peaceful doves prefer the grass and woodland areas. In areas of dense groundcover family groups of superb fairy wrens search for food. Flitting in the open areas are jacky winters and yellow-rumped thornbills. (Alexander, Evans and Hill, 1978).

3. Reptiles and Amphibians

There are 38 recorded reptiles and amphibians within Para Wirra Recreation Park. These include the long-necked tortoise, marbled gecko, tree dtella, bearded dragon, the shingle back, common grass skink and eastern blue tongue lizard. Only 5 species are amphibians: the brown tree frog, bull frog, marbled frog, Bibron’s toadlet and brown froglet. (Alexander, Evans and Hill, 1978) The yellow faced whip snake, brown snake and the red bellied black snake have also been sighted in the park.

History

The reserve takes it name from what are believed to local Aboriginal words, Para meaning “river” and Wirra meaning “forest”. Para Wirra National Park was officially opened by the then premier of South Australia, Sir Thomas Playford on 24th September 1963. Para Wirra was the state’s second national park, after Belair National Park. In 1972 Para Wirra was reconstituted as a recreation park. This reconstitution reflected the park’s role as a natural area catering for a wide range of recreational activities. There were no known sites of Aboriginal occupation within the reserve, but the area was thought to have been occupied by the Permangk tribe prior European settlement. Recent findings are currently under investigation.

Climate

The climate is Mediterranean maritime, influenced by south westerly winds with approximately 79% of the total rainfall occurring in the months from April to October, inclusive.

Topography

The park ranges in altitude from 137m above sea level immediately below Devil’s Nose to just over 328m asl in the south eastern corner of the park. 76% of the park lies above the 24m contour. (Clarke, 1967) The landform of the park has been described as “a hilly upland with broad crests and dissected slopes” (Lauet al et, 1977). The northern section is a dissected plateau due to the South Para River, which has formed steep sloped valleys and narrow ridge tops; the central reserve area is an undissected plateau; and the southern area is dominated by Mack Creek.

Geology

Para Wirra Recreational Park lies entirely within an inlier of crystalline base rock which extends southwards to Torrens Gorge. It is part of a more extensive Precambrian rock mass, the oldest in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
In the extreme west of the park there are undifferentiated, mostly very micaceous rocks (Schists), and gneisses. A zone of distinctive layered or banded quartz-feldspar rich rocks (gneisses) extends though the central portion of the park. In the extreme east there is another conspicuous rock type (augen gneiss) which is distinguished by the presence of “eye” structures (usually of feldspar) up to 2.5 cm in length.

Soils

There appear to be 3 principal soil types in the park: duplex soils with yellow-grey clay horizons in the southern section of the park, duplex soils with red clay horizions in the north and coarse textured uniform soils on the steep slopes and rockly ridges. The South Para River has limited soil developments and consists of alluvial sands and gravels. All soils are acidic.

Programmes in place

Programmes in place at Para Wirra Recreation Park include

- Weed control (namely African bridal creeper and boneseed)

- Vermin control (preventing over grazing by feral goats and kangaroos)

- Revegetation programmes aimed at re-establishing indigenous plant species

Affiliated groups

Affiliated groups with the Para Wirra Recreation Park, aside from the obvious Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH), include:
- The Friends of Para Wirra (the major group). They meet on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of every month, starting at 9:00 am in the Conference Centre alongside the Ranger’s office. http://www.communitywebs.org/FriendsParaWirraRecreationPark/

- Heart Foundation Walks http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/sites/walking/Pages/default.aspx

- Barossa Goldfields Society http://www.communitywebs.org/BarossaGoldfieldsHistoric/

- Tintookies Orienteers http://www.communitywebs.org/TintookiesOrienteering/

- ASSA http://asa.astronomy.org.au/

- Georama Pty. Ltd. A Virtual Tour of Para Wirra Recreation Park

- And various other groups who volunteer and hold functions within the Park less frequently.

Guided walks and school visits

School visits, guided walks and other functions such as celebrations, meetings and volunteer activities within the park can be arranged.

Conference Centre

The Friends of Para Wirra also have a small Conference Centre for hire, named the Ted and Molly Hughes Conference Centre after a husband and wife who are valuable life members of the Friends, having provided over 20 years’ service.