Chadinga Conservation Park South Australia | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)[1] | |
Nearest town or city | Penong, South Australia |
Coordinates | 31°58′36.22″S 132°51′20.15″E / 31.9767278°S 132.8555972°E[1] |
Established | 11 November 1993[2] |
Area | 118.54 km2 (45.8 sq mi)[2] |
Managing authorities | Department for Environment and Water |
See also | Protected areas of South Australia |
Chadinga Conservation Park, formerly the Chadinga Conservation Reserve, is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the Chadinga Dunes on the western side of Lake MacDonnell, in the locality of Penong.[3] The park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area.[1]
The conservation park covers 118.54 square kilometres (45.77 sq mi) of coastal dunes, containing a lake and areas of Mallee scrub.[2] It is commonly called "Tuckamore" by local people. The dunes extend up to 3 km inland and form a habitat for the spinifex hopping mouse.[4] The conservation park has no visitor facilities, although bush camping is permitted.[5]
The Dinosaur Ant (Nothomyrmecia macrops), noted as a "living fossil", is found within the conservation park.[6] The lake is the largest of several salt lakes in the area - others include Red Lake (a small section of Lake MacDonnell cut off by the Penong to Point Sinclair/Cactus Beach road) and Blue Lake, a smaller lake to the south of Lake MacDonnell.