Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park

Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park
South Australia

Cave diving scene at Piccaninnie Ponds showing two divers

Cave diving at Piccaninnie Ponds
Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park
Nearest town or city Donovans
Coordinates 38°03′03″S 140°56′11″E / 38.05083°S 140.93639°E / -38.05083; 140.93639Coordinates: 38°03′03″S 140°56′11″E / 38.05083°S 140.93639°E / -38.05083; 140.93639
Established 16 October 1969[1]
Area 8.64 km2 (3.3 sq mi)[1]
Managing authorities Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
Website Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park
See also Protected areas of South Australia

Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is a protected area of 862 hectares (2,130 acres) located in southeastern South Australia near Mount Gambier.

Description

The Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park is located in the south-east of South Australia in the gazetted locality of Wye on the continental coastline overlooking Discovery Bay about 490 kilometres (300 mi) southeast of the state capital of Adelaide and 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-east of the city of Mount Gambier.[2][3]

The conservation park conserves a wetland fed by freshwater springs in a karst landscape.[4]

It is close to the border with Victoria and is part of the Discovery Bay to Piccaninnie Ponds Important Bird Area, identified by BirdLife International as being of global significance for several bird species.[5] It is a listed Ramsar site.[6] The park contains a walking track through coastal woodland to a viewing platform overlooking the wetlands.[7]

Recreational diving

Piccaninnie Ponds is a popular site for both snorkelling and cave diving. It contains three main features of interest to cave divers. The ‘First Pond’ is an open depression about 10 metres (33 ft) deep with a silt floor and much aquatic life, the ‘Chasm’ is a sinkhole with a depth of over 100 metres (330 ft), and the ‘Cathedral’ is an enclosed area with limestone formations and a depth of about 35 metres (115 ft).[4] Underwater visibility is excellent and may exceed 40 metres (130 ft). Snorkelling and cave diving at Piccaninnie Ponds is by permit only.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Protected Areas Information System - reserve list (as of 11 July 2016)" (PDF). Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  2. ↑ South Australia. National Parks and Wildlife Service. South East District; Sutherland, Andrea; South Australia. National Parks and Wildlife Service (1992), Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park management plan, South East, South Australia (PDF), Dept. of Environment and Planning, pp. 2–3, ISBN 978-0-7308-2663-7
  3. ↑ "Search result for "Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park" (Record no SA0054911) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and "Place names (gazetteer)"". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Piccaninnie Ponds - 5L072". Richard "Harry" Harris. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "IBA: Discovery Bay to Piccaninnie Ponds". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  6. ↑ Peddie, Clare. "Piccaninnie Ponds now a wetland world wonder". The Advertiser. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Limestone Coast brochure

Further reading

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