Red Banks Conservation Park - SA

Palaeontologists have called this area one of the richest megafauna sites in Australia. Thanks to the fascinating 'Landscapes of Change' interpretive walking trail, visitors can walk the path of the Diprotodons, who lived here until about 65,000 years ago. The park protects fossilised remains of Australia’s extinct megafauna, including Diprotodon, Thylacine, Sthenurus and Procoptodon. Many of these fossils have been preserved in situ and have remained articulated, thus increasing the value of the site.

Red Banks Conservation Park occurs at the transition of two broadly defined ecosystem types: (i) the temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands of the North Mount Lofty Ranges; and (ii) the semi-arid shrublands and mallee of the Murray Plains. The park supports a number of vegetation associations.

The park conserves numerous threatened ecological communities including scented mat-rush tussock grassland and mallee box woodland, as well as the rohrlack's bluebush. Short-beaked echidnas, southern hairy-nosed wombats, birds and reptiles are among the park's wildlife, as well as present day descendants of megafauna, such as western grey and red kangaroos.

Walks within the park;

Landscapes of Change Hike (2 hrs, 5km loop)
The Landscapes of Change interpretive loop hike passes deep gorges and permanent waterholes, uncovering what the landscape may have been like 65,000 years ago, when megafauna roamed the area. The walk starts at the day visitor area.

Mallee Campground to Oval Hike (20 mins return)

The camping area is a small one with 10 camp bays set in a circle amongst the mallee. There is a single drop toilet in the centre of the circle. Fires are not permitted in the park.