Naracoorte Caves National Park

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Natural: viii, ix
Reference	698
Inscription	1994 (18th Session)

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Naracoorte Caves National Park
Coordinates	36°57′S 140°45′E / 36.950°S 140.750°E / -36.950; 140.750
Established	1994
Area	3.05 km²
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Naracoorte Caves is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia (Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The park preserves 6 km² of remnant vegetation, with 26 caves contained within the 3.05 km² World Heritage Area.

The park is a visitor destination in itself, with a camping ground and caravan park, dormitory accommodation for groups, picnic grounds and a licenced cafe. The range of visitor activities is extensive. Show cave tours are guided by professional interpreters through highly decorated caves with some tours visiting amazing fossil deposits. Modern technology has been utilised to show visitors the normally inaccessible interior of Bat Cave, where thousands of bats breed each year. Other opportunities include adventure caving, a selection of specialty tours and special events.

The limestone of the area was formed from coral and marine creatures 200 million years ago and again 20 million years ago when the land was below sea level. Ground water since then has dissolved and eroded some of the limestone, creating the caves. The caves are often not far below ground, and holes open up creating traps for the unwary. This is the source of the remarkable collection of fossils. Mammals and other land creatures have fallen into open caves and been unable to escape. The fossil record has been preserved in strata formed from eroded topsoil washed and blown in. In some places, the fossil-bearing silt is up to 20 metres thick. Some of these areas are being preserved for future research when better methods of dating and reconstructing fossil records may have been found. These fossil traps are especially significant for tracing Australian megafauna.

Caves

Caves contained within the national park include:

Alexandra Cave
Appledore Cave
Bat Cave
Blackberry Cave
Cathedral Cave
Fox Cave
Stick/Tomato Cave
Victoria Fossil Cave
Wombat Cave

File:Marsupial Lion skeleton in Naracoorte Caves.jpg

The reconstructed skeleton of a marsupial lion in the Victoria Fossil Cave

External links

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v t e World Heritage Sites in Australia
New South Wales	Australian Convict Sites¹ Gondwana Rainforests¹ Blue Mountains Lord Howe Island Group Sydney Opera House Willandra Lakes Region
Northern Territory	Kakadu National Park Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
Queensland	Australian fossil mammal sites¹ Riversleigh K'gari Gondwana Rainforests¹ Great Barrier Reef Wet Tropics of Queensland
South Australia	Australian fossil mammal sites¹ Naracoorte
Tasmania	Australian Convict Sites¹ Macquarie Island Tasmanian Wilderness
Victoria	Royal Exhibition Building Carlton Gardens Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
Western Australia	Australian Convict Sites¹ Ningaloo Coast Purnululu National Park Shark Bay
External territories	(Norfolk Island) Australian Convict Sites¹ Heard Island and McDonald Islands
¹ Shared with other states/territories

v t e Protected areas of South Australia
National parks	Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary–Winaityinaityi Pangkara Belair Canunda Cleland Coffin Bay Coorong Dhilba Guuranda-Innes Flinders Chase Deep Creek Glenthorne National Park–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Gawler Ranges Great Australian Bight Marine Ikara-Flinders Ranges Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Lake Frome Lake Gairdner Lake Torrens Lincoln Malkumba-Coongie Mount Remarkable Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert Murray River Naracoorte Caves Nullarbor Nilpena Ediacara Onkaparinga River Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges Witjira
Conservation parks	Aberdour Acraman Creek Aldinga Scrub Althorpe Islands Angove Avoid Bay Islands Baird Bay Islands Bakara Bandon Bangham Barwell Bascombe Well Baudin Baudin Rocks Beachport Beatrice Islet Belt Hill Beyeria Big Heath Billiatt Bimbowrie Bird Islands Black Hill Black Rock Boondina Breakaways Brookfield Bullock Hill Busby Islet Butchers Gap Calectasia Calpatanna Waterhole Cap Island Cape Blanche Cape Gantheaume Cape Willoughby Caralue Bluff Carappee Hill Carcuma Caroona Creek Carpenter Rocks Carribie Chadinga Charleston Christmas Rocks Clements Gap Clinton Cocata Cooltong Corrobinnie Hill Cox Scrub Cromer Cudlee Creek Custon Cygnet Estuary Danggali Darke Range Desert Camp Dingley Dell Douglas Point Dudley Eba Island Elliot Price Eric Bonython Ettrick Ewens Ponds Fairview Ferguson Ferries-McDonald Finniss Fort Glanville Fowlers Bay Franklin Harbor Furner Gambier Islands Gawler Ranges Geegeela Giles Glen Roy Goose Island Gower Grass Tree Greenly Island Guichen Bay Gum Lagoon Gum Tree Gully Hacks Lagoon Hale Hallett Cove Hanson Scrub Heggaton Hesperilla Hincks Hogwash Bend Hopkins Creek Horsnell Gully Ironstone Hill Jip Jip Kaiserstuhl Kapunda Island Karte Kathai Kellidie Bay Kelly Hill Kelvin Powrie Kenneth Stirling Kinchina Kulliparu Kungari Kyeema Lake Frome Lake Gilles Lake Hawdon South Lake Newland Lake St Clair Lashmar Lathami Laura Bay Lawari Lesuer Leven Beach Lincoln Lipson Island Little Dip Lowan Lower Glenelg River Maize Island Lagoon Malgra Mamungari Mantung Marino Mark Oliphant Marne Valley Martin Washpool Martindale Hall Mary Seymour Media Island Messent Middlecamp Hills Mimbara Minlacowie Moana Sands Mokota Monarto Monarto Woodlands Montacute Moody Tank Morgan Morialta Mount Billy Mount Boothby Mount Brown Mount Dutton Bay Mount George Mount Magnificent Mount Monster Mount Scott Mount Taylor Mowantjie Willauwar Mullinger Swamp Munyaroo Murrunatta Mylor Myponga Nene Valley Nepean Bay Neptune Islands Newland Head Ngarkat Ngaut Ngaut Nicolas Baudin Island Nixon-Skinner Nuyts Archipelago Nuyts Reef Olive Island Padthaway Pandappa Para Wirra Paranki Lagoon Parndana Peachna Peebinga Pelican Lagoon Penambol Penguin Island Penola Piccaninnie Ponds Pigface Island Pike River Pine Hill Soak Pinkawillinie Point Bell Point Davenport Point Labatt Pooginook Poonthie Ruwe Porter Scrub Pualco Range Pullen Island Pureba Ramco Point Ramsay Red Banks Reedy Creek Ridley Rilli Island Rocky Island (North) Rocky Island (South) Roonka Rudall Salt Lagoon Islands Sandy Creek Sceale Bay Scott Scott Creek Seal Bay Searcy Bay Seddon Shannon Sheoak Hill Simpson Sinclair Island Sir Joseph Banks Group Sleaford Mere Spring Gully Spring Mount Stipiturus Swan Reach Talapar Talisker Tallaringa Tantanoola Caves Telford Scrub The Dutchmans Stern The Knoll The Pages The Plug Range Thidna Tilley Swamp Torrens Island Troubridge Island Tucknott Scrub Tumby Island Venus Bay Verran Tanks Vivigani Ardune Vivonne Bay Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Wahgunyah Waitpinga Waldegrave Islands Wanilla Wanilla Land Settlement Warren Warrenben West Island Wharminda Whidbey Isles White Dam Whyalla Wiljani Wills Creek Winninowie Wittelbee Woakwine Wolseley Common Yalpara Yeldulknie Yulte Yumbarra
Game reserves	Bool Lagoon Bucks Lake Chowilla Currency Creek Lake Robe Loch Luna Moorook Mud Islands Poocher Swamp Tolderol
Recreation parks	Anstey Hill Blackwood Forest Brownhill Creek Caratoola Cobbler Creek Granite Island Greenhill Long Island O'Halloran Hill Onkaparinga River Shepherds Hill Sturt Gorge Totness
Regional Reserves	Chowilla Innamincka Nullarbor Strzelecki Yellabinna
Conservation reserves	Bernouilli Buckleboo Bunbury Bunkers Cortlinye Cox Scrub Cunyarie Desert Camp Hardings Springs Lacroma Moongi Mootra Pinkawillinie Reservoir Poolgarra Tola Former conservation reserves
Wilderness Protection Areas	Billiatt Cape Bouguer Cape Gantheaume Cape Torrens Danggali Hambridge Hincks Investigator Group Memory Cove Nullarbor Nuyts Archipelago Ravine des Casoars Western River Yellabinna
Other protected areas	Arkaroola Protection Area
Former protected areas	Investigator Group Isles of St Francis Katarapko Mount Rescue Mount Shaugh Port Gawler Scorpion Springs Telowie Gorge
Related topics	Marine protected areas of South Australia List of protected areas in Adelaide

Caves

See also

External links