Cape Torrens Wilderness Protection Area, formerly the Cape Torrens Conservation Park and the Cape Torrens National Park, is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. It was originally dedicated on 21 January 1971 to conserve remnant native vegetation with outstanding coastal and cliff scenery and proclaimed as a wilderness protection area on 15 October 1993.

Description

The wilderness protection area has an area of with of coastline including Cape Torrens. It lies towards the western end of the island's north coast. It is characterised by a coastal ridge and the scenic cliffs typical of the north coast, declining in altitude further inland. The cliff tops carry a coastal complex dominated by ''

Acacia paradoxa ''Acacia paradoxa'' is a plant in the family Fabaceae. Its common names include kangaroo acacia, kangaroo thorn, prickly wattle, hedge wattle and paradox acacia. Description The large shrub or tree up to tall and has a similar width, it has ...

'', grading inland to open

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, Herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or ...

. The ridge has patches of ''

Eucalyptus cladocalyx ''Eucalyptus cladocalyx'', commonly known as sugar gum, is a species of eucalypt tree found in the Australian state of South Australia. It is found naturally in three distinct populations - in the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and on Kangar ...

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

with an understorey of '' Hakea rostrata'', '' Xanthorrhoea tateana'' and ''

Lasiopetalum ''Lasiopetalum'', commonly known as velvet bushes, is a genus of about forty-five species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, all endemic to Australia. Description Most species of ''Lasiopetalum'' are spreading or prostrate, many ...

'' sp. The wilderness protection area is classified as an

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Category Ib protected area.

Wilderness qualities

The following qualities have been identified by the government agency managing the wilderness protection area:

The area is outstanding for the biological integrity of its native forest and woodland, and for its wild coastal scenery. It also contains habitat for the endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo. The wilderness quality of Cape Torrens Wilderness Protection Area is recorded as high, as it is undisturbed by structures and impacts of modern technology. There are no internal tracks and the vegetation is virtually pristine.

References

External links

Entry for Cape Torrens Wilderness Protection Area on protected planet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Torrens Wilderness Protection Area Protected areas of Kangaroo Island Wilderness areas of South Australia Protected areas established in 1971 1971 establishments in Australia