Western River Wilderness Protection Area

For other uses, see Western River.

Western River Wilderness Protection Area South Australia
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Western River Wilderness Protection Area
Nearest town or city	Parndana
Coordinates
Established	1 October 1993
Area	2,467 hectares (6,100 acres)
Managing authorities	Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
See also	Protected areas of South Australia

Western River Wilderness Protection Area, formerly the Western River Conservation Park, is a protected area on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, about 30 km west of Parndana. It was originally proclaimed at a conservation park on 27 April 1972 to conserve a broad cross-section of vegetation from the main plateau area of the island to its coastal slopes and cliffs and was proclaimed as a wilderness protection area on 1 October 1993.

Description

The park has an area of 2,467 ha (6,100 acres). The topography is rugged, with numerous steep slopes and deep gullies. The vegetation consists mainly of open forest, woodland and scrub associations dominated by Eucalyptus cladocalyx, E. baxteri, E. diversifolia and E. cosmophylla. There are also areas of Allocasuarina muelleriana open heath and A. verticillata low open forest. The park contains nesting and feeding habitat for Glossy Black Cockatoos. Scenic features include the coastal cliffs and the waterfall on Waterfall Creek.

Wilderness qualities

The following qualities have been identified by the government agency managing the wilderness protection area:

While there are some relatively minor impacts of modern technology, the area has distinctive wilderness attributes and warrants protection and restoration in accordance with the provisions of the Act. In addition to its rugged terrain and high coastal cliffs that are characteristic of the northern coast of Kangaroo Island, Western River Wilderness Protection Area is highly valued for the presence of habitat for the endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo. Plant species diversity is high and the vegetation exhibits a wide cross-section of Kangaroo Island vegetation.

External links

• Western River Wilderness Protection Area webpage on protected planet