Spring into Para Wirra Conservation Park this month
With native orchids blooming and warmer sunny days on the horizon, September is a great time to visit Para Wirra Conservation Park, north of Adelaide.
It’s National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia’s Park of the Month for September, and there’s a range of special activities available.
Located about 45 minutes from Adelaide, the park has numerous walking trails, picnic areas and the Wirra campground, making it the perfect place to immerse yourself in nature.
Para Wirra is well known for its colourful displays of native orchids and wildflowers.
Senior ranger Tammy Leggett said the park also has a rich cultural history and is shared Country of the First Nations people.
“This month National Parks and Wildlife Service welcomes visitors to join Elders and guides to learn more about this area, bush foods, medicines and creation,” she said.
“The park is also home to the Barossa Goldfields, where you can discover the history of what was once a thriving mining operation.
“There’s more than 100 species of birds living in the park, including the emus you might see at the picnic grounds. You can see kangaroos grazing at dawn and dusk, and on a warm day bearded dragons and sleepy lizards like to bask in the sunshine. If you’re lucky, you might see a short-beaked echidna, a shy creature whose diggings can be found throughout the park.
“And this month we are also excited to celebrate the addition of 184 hectares of Glenburnie land to the park.”
Some great activities have been organised throughout the month for the public to enjoy and discover more about why this park is such a special place. Events include:
- Ranger-guided sunset and night walks
- Aboriginal cultural experiences
- searching for native orchids with a local botanist
- discovering the pioneering heritage of the Barossa Goldfields
- fun campground activities
- taking the classroom outside with Bush Play and Bush Habitat sessions for primary school-aged kids
- snapping the perfect pic with a smartphone photography course with a local photographer.
For more information about these and other events and to book a place at an event visit: www.parks.sa.gov.au/park-of-the-month
