The Coorong National Park’s current size is 189.26 sq mi (490.2 sq km), and it’s spread over three states: South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.Five barriers block the movement of water within this protected area: the Snowy Mountains Range to the northern end; The Great Australian Bight to the south; The Strzelecki Ranges to the west; Cape Spencer Plain to the east; and a coastline that consists of dunes.The Coorong National Park is a protected area that features an estuary, original land, saltwater, and freshwater wetlands.Within the national park is ’the Coorong lagoon,’ which contains the famous mouth of the River Murray mentioned in the previous section. Lakes Alexandrina and Albert are found inside the national park while Lake Alexandrina holds many species of fish.Salt Creek also flows inside the national park and it is a tributary of Lake Albert. Salt Creek also connects to Coorong Lagoon via gorges, which when combined with other tributaries, makes up ’the Coorong’.There are some interesting facts about these animals and other flora and fauna like the endangered Eyrean bandicoot is found within the national park.Australian sea lions were introduced by French settlers in the mid-19th century to help catch fish for coastal communities. They are also found in the Bass Strait.The environment within the national park is suitable for the royal spoonbill and the Australian pelican, which was once considered extinct in Southern Australia.Koalas were introduced to Kangaroo Island, and they have migrated beyond that location to other parts of Southern Australia. You can also find some western grey kangaroos in Coorong.The saltwater crocodile has been spotted along the coasts of Coorong National Park and in some parts of the Murray River Estuary. The Coorong National Park is home to the largest population of rose-ringed parakeets in Australia.The first European settlers in Australia were Portuguese sailors who were exploring the ocean beach for gold. The English man-of-war ship ‘HMS Supply’ was wrecked on a reef near King Island during a storm. The wreck was then used by the Jean Francois de Laperouse to repair his vessel.Location Of CoorongThe Coorong, located in South Australia, is about 406.4 mi (654 km) to the west of Adelaide city and it is ’located on a long narrow strip of coast which curves around the peninsula.‘Its coordinates are 34.01 degrees latitude and 145.99 degrees longitude.Towards the easternmost point, the coordinates of Coorong National Park are 33.69 degrees latitude and 149 degrees longitude.Weather And Climate Of CoorongThe climate at Coorong is hot dry summers and warm dry winters, with a high chance of drought conditions.The average temperatures in January range between 64.4 F (18 C) and 69.8 F (21 C), while the average temperatures in July are 77-84.2 F (25-29 C).Fauna And flora At Coorong: Some of the fauna found at the national park include bandicoots, Australian sea lions, koalas, saltwater crocodiles, pelicans, rose-ringed parakeets, emus, and kangaroos.Some of the flora found include mangroves along the estuaries of lakes Alexandrina and Albert along with other parts of South Australia’s coast.Some of the plants found at the national park include ’the pretty little flowers’ and ’the buffelgrass.‘Wildlife: The Coorong is home to the endangered Eyrean bandicoot.The endangered Eyrean bandicoot is a small, burrowing, nocturnal marsupial that inhabits sandy soils in semi-arid areas.It was originally found only in southern South Australia but now it can be found in other parts of Australia, including Victoria and New South Wales.The Eyrean bandicoot is a herbivore and feeds on native plants, seeds, grasses, and lichen. Its diet consists mostly of the grass species ‘Eriachne’.The range of the Eyrean bandicoot is limited due to its reduced population size.Other animals that live in Coorong are koalas and the native species of kangaroos.Plants: Some interesting plants found in Coorong National Park include ’the pretty little flowers’ and ’the buffelgrass’.The pretty little flower, also called the pink pincushion, is a plant that grows in South Australia.The oval-shaped pink flower is split into five petals that have sometimes drawn comparisons with a pincushion. It’s one of the floral symbols of South Australia.The pretty little flower has a striking appearance because it’s surrounded by long, spiny leaves which grow up to 11.81 in (30 cm) long and can be used as a spice or in herbal tea.Let us talk about some features of the Coorong.The Coorong is an important symbol in Australian history as the British explorer Matthew Flinders used this area to navigate the coast during his voyage, which explored Australia.Two rivers flow into the Coorong - Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert.The Coorong is connected to the Spencer Gulf via the Goolwa Channel and Hindmarsh Island via ’the beautiful Hindmarsh Island Bridge,’ which was opened in 1985 by the then-South Australian Premier John Bannon.The national park area was opened for the first time on 7 November 1999, where some areas were set aside for public use while others were not, due to their high conservation value.Some parts of the park are also closed due to their high conservation value, such as Lake Albert Nature Reserve.What is Coorong known for?The Coorong is known for its beautiful landscape, good fishing in the area, and unique wildlife.Some of the animals found in the area include sea lions, kangaroos, koalas, and echidnas.Coorong is also home to some of Australia’s tallest sandhills.The national park is also famous for a handful of Australian lighthouses, including the Cape Spencer Lighthouse near Coorong National Park and Cape Jervis Lighthouse.Coorong is also known for its sand dunes. There are about 30 different levels of these sand dunes, including the highest level.While many might consider the seawater or the pelican point or the narrow lagoon to be the prominent attractions, the high sand dunes, coastal vegetation, Murray river, Younghusband peninsula, and so on are not something to overlook.The sand dunes separate the lagoon from the Southern ocean and the vegetated sand dunes would be dynamic to watch in the Coorong National Park.This is a scene that can be seen in the national park without even needing to get there, as it’s featured in a famous Australian film ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ starring Max Steiner.Coorong is famous for its beach which spans over 120.6 mi (194 km) and is the longest in Australia.It is also famous for its extensive natural biodiversity which is especially recognized for its birdlife.Rare birds are been spotted which makes it one of the best places for birdwatching. It is also famous because of the popular 1976 film named ‘Storm Boy’, which is set on the shore of Coorong beach.People have spotted a few species of sharks in the seawater side of Coorong. Freshwater species like salmon, mulloway, gummy sharks, and bronze whaler sharks are been seen in the freshwater lagoon.Hundreds of different species of fish are found in the Coorong which were fished for commercial sales.Native species of fish like the Black Bream, Greenback Flounder, Mulloway, Pipi (Goolwa cockle), Yellow-eye mullet, Golden Perch, Bony Bream, Salmon, Gummy Sharks, Bronze Whaler sharks, etc are been found extensively.Also, exotic species like the European Carp and Redfin are also been spotted in the area.Details On Coorong National ParkThe Coorong National Park is a protected area for both flora and fauna.About 50% of the national park’s area is made up of water, which includes ‘more than 100 lakes, almost 50 rivers, and several large estuaries.‘The park’s climate ranges from hot dry summers to warm dry winters, with a high chance of drought conditions during the summer months.The national park is home to the endangered Eyrean bandicoot.The park’s most eastern point is 33.69 degrees South Latitude and 149.99 degrees Longitude, which is also called Coorong Point.The national park includes several settlements of people including communities with ‘grazing properties, coastal townships and fishing ports.‘Did you know?The 55-year-old Coorong National Park is special and unique because of various reasons. It is considered a national treasure in Australia.The park has a wetland of international importance as it provides a perfect habitat for numerous species, both local as well as migratory birds which fly from Alaska and even from further.This place has international attention for its conservation and thus is conserved and well maintained.Hundreds of species of rare birds are been spotted in Coorong which also include species that are in danger of extinction. Around 238 species of birds are been spotted in the National Park.Along with birdlife, it also comprises 40 mammals and reptile species that are spread in the wetlands.The weather is usually warm in the park Coorong and warnings about events like winter storms on the southeast coast or western end would be provided earlier. This ocean beach is perfect for people who love the seawater lagoon system and to hang out in the area.Park Coorong is given the name Kurangk by the Ngarrindjeri people and the aboriginal term means narrow neck.If you are in the Coorong lagoon, do not miss out on the ariel picture of the Long Narrow Neck in the wetland area. It has the Meningie Pink Lake.It is one of the popular national parks with so many activities in its Gateway, in Salt Creek.Did you know that the Younghusband peninsula acts as a coastal barrier sheltered in a wetland habitat?The evidence about the Younghusband peninsula comes from the archaeological investigations with surface dates indicating human occupancy.Research about this Younghusband peninsula is ongoing to find out its age and other sections.The ancient sand dunes, narrow Coorong lagoon ecosystem, coastal vegetation, walking trails, national parks, narrow lake, and sea haze are not something you may want to miss out on when you happen to visit the area.
The Coorong National Park’s current size is 189.26 sq mi (490.2 sq km), and it’s spread over three states: South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
