Lincoln National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Aboriginal culture
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- DEH (08) 8204 1910
- NPWSA Port Lincoln (08) 8688 3111
- Visitor Centre (08) 8683 3544,
- 1800 629 911
- WALK a section of the Investigator Trail
- TAKE the drive to the Sleaford–Wanna dunes and marvel at the hills of pure white sands
- SPEND a day beachcombing at Taylors Landing
- STAY in the 100-year-old Donington Cottage and enjoy the wide views over Spalding Cove
Introduction
Easily accessible at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula, Lincoln National Park protects a sweeping plain of coastal mallee surrounded by bays and ocean beaches. The quiet coves with sparkling blue waters, storm-carved limestone cliffs and massive white dunes are relatively untracked, particularly the declared Wilderness Area around Memory Cove in the pristine south-east corner of the park.
Fact file
Access
From Adelaide via Princes and Lincoln hwys to Port Lincoln; from Streaky Bay via Flinders Hwy, or Eyre and Tod hwys
Best Season
Spring and summer
Location
650 km west of Adelaide; 20 km south of Port Lincoln; 290 km south-east of Streaky Bay
Park Information
Permits
Camping permit required
Size
29 000 ha
Where to Stay
Port Lincoln (08) 8682 2222,
1800 067 739
A look at the past
During his circumnavigation of Australia in the Investigator, Matthew Flinders landed at several places along the Eyre Peninsula coast, including the delightful Memory Cove in 1802. However, exploring the lovely bay and its surrounds was to end in tragedy. Returning to the ship from a landing party sent to locate fresh water, two officers and six men were drowned. They were seen at dusk, but were lost by nightfall. Flinders erected an engraved copper plate at Memory Cove and named Cape Catastrophe, and Williams, Taylor, Smith, Little, Hopkins, Lewis, Grindal and Owen islands after the men who were lost. Early European enterprises in the area included wheat farming, guano mining, timber-cutting and grazing, but cleared land, abandoned farm equipment and the 1899 Donington Cottage (now fully restored and offering accommodation) are the only legacy of those early activities. Lincoln National Park was declared as a flora and fauna reserve in 1941.
Aboriginal culture
The Banggarla and Nawu people are the traditional custodians of this country. Shellfish, fish, reptiles, mammals and edible plants made up a bountiful larder and throughout the park there are stone fish traps, middens and artefact scatters where stone was once worked.
Natural features
The gently undulating landscape of limestone and dunes has occasional spectacular outcrops of ancient granite, such as Stamford Hill in the north, while on the south coast the limestone is weathered into steep and rugged cliffs. Most of the dunes are stabilised by vegetation, but between Wanna and Sleaford the coastal dunes are still mobile.
Native plants
Behind the beaches and cliffs there is a mass of flowering shrubs such as bearded heath, dryland tea-tree, coast daisy bush, thyme rice flower, coast velvet-bush and salmon correa. Further inland drooping she-oak woodlands are scattered among coastal white mallee and yorrell. Granite outcrops are the habitat for rock wattle, fan pomaderris, lilac hibiscus, guinea-flower and drooping velvet-bush.
Wildlife
This is a birdwatching paradise. The white-bellied sea-eagle and osprey nest along rocky coastal outcrops, and white-browed scrubwrens, New Holland honeyeaters, endangered southern emuwrens, rock parrots and western whipbirds inhabit the coastal heaths. Long-distance migrants such as stints, stilts and sandpipers spend summer in the wetlands and sheltered bays. Emus share grazing space with kangaroos and in the mallee a recent reintroduction program has successfully established a population of malleefowl.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
Lincoln offers a variety of activities along its beautiful coastlines, including beachcombing, fishing, swimming and sightseeing. Cliff edges are unstable or undercut in places so extreme care should be taken when walking in coastal areas and when fishing or driving. Ocean conditions are hazardous at times with rips, strong tides and large waves. Four-wheel-drive tracks are soft in places – reduce tyre pressure on the Sleaford–Wanna track.
Bushwalking
The Investigator Trail is an easy well-marked track that winds from Wisemans Beach past Sleaford Mere, around Proper Bay to Spalding Cove, out to September Beach then inland at Taylors Landing. A short (45 minutes return) energetic walk to the top of Stamford Hill offers views over Boston Bay to Port Lincoln.
Fishing
At aptly named Fishermans Point catch whiting, garfish and squid in the pristine waters of Boston Bay. Other great fishing can be had at Cape Donington and MacLaren Point in the east. There is a boat ramp at Taylors Landing.
Swimming
Woodcutters Beach, Surfleet Cove, Spalding Cove and September Beach are all lovely swimming spots. Memory Cove in the south-east is a sheltered cove of white sand and azure water, but access is limited to 15 vehicles a day.
Campsites
Woodcutters Beach camping area
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