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Limestone Coast

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Overview

Limestone Coast is a region in South Australia. It is a tourist region and a wine zone.

Wikivoyage guide · 15 sections

▸Introduction87 chars

Limestone Coast is a region in South Australia. It is a tourist region and a wine zone.

▸Cities352 chars

1 Kingston SE – coastal town

2 Keith – just another stopover when going from Melbourne to Adelaide

3 Mount Gambier – cave diving capital of Australia, and South Australia's second largest city, just after Adelaide

4 Naracoorte – near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Naracoorte Caves National Park

5 Robe – not known for robes but rather its coastline

▸Other destinations268 chars

1 Canunda National Park – where the limestone cliffs of the Limestone Coast are

2 Naracoorte Caves National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site home to some of the largest collections of mammalian fossils, most which are not seen anywhere outside Australia or New Guinea

▸History439 chars

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia865 words

Introduction

For other uses, see Limestone Coast. Region in South AustraliaRegion in South Australia, AustraliaLimestone CoastRegionBlue Lake, Mount GambierLimestone CoastCoordinates: 37°S 140°E / 37°S 140°E / -37; 140CountryAustraliaStateSouth AustraliaLGACity of Mount Gambier District Council of GrantDistrict Council of Robe Kingston District Council Naracoorte Lucindale Council Tatiara District Council Wattle Range CouncilGovernment • State electoratesMacKillopMount Gambier • Federal divisionBarkerPopulation • Total64,585 (2006 ABS data) View across the plains near Naracoorte from Russet Ridge Winery Aerial views of the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early 21st century for a South Australian government region located in the south east of South Australia which immediately adjoins the continental coastline and the Victorian border. The name is also used for a tourist region and a wine zone both located in the same part of South Australia.

Extent

[edit] The Limestone Coast is a South Australian Government Region which consists of land within the following local government areas located in the south east of the state: the City of Mount Gambier and the District Councils of Grant, Kingston, Robe, Tatiara and Naracoorte Lucindale and the Wattle Range Council, and the extent of "coastal waters" up to three nautical miles seaward of the low water mark between the border with Victoria in the east and the northern boundary of the Kingston District Council in the north-west. Industry regions with the same name[edit] Limestone Coast Tourism Region[edit] The words 'Limestone Coast' also used in the name of a tourism region which occupies a similar part of South Australia. The tourism region consists of the following local government areas: the City of Mount Gambier, The Coorong District Council, the District Councils of Grant, Kingston, Robe, Tatiara and Naracoorte Lucindale, and the Wattle Range Council. Limestone Coast Wine Zone[edit] Further information: Limestone Coast zone (wine) The words 'Limestone Coast' also used in the name of a wine zone which occupies a similar part of South Australia. The wine zone is the land south of a line located at appropriately 36 degrees 50 minutes south, i.e. in line with Cape Willoughby at the east end of Kangaroo Island. The zone includes the following wine-growing regions: Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Robe and Wrattonbully.

More in regions0

From the Victoria border to the Younghusband Peninsula this area has been settled since colonisation by mainly European settlers in the 1840s, displacing an indigenous population that had resided in the region for thousands of years. The region supports farming, viticulture, forestry and tourism. Towns include Bordertown, Keith, Millicent, Mount Gambier, Penola, and Naracoorte and the coastal resorts of Beachport, Kingston SE and Robe.

▸Geography749 chars

Much of the Limestone Coast is low-lying, and was inundated by sea as recently as 2 million years ago. It had previously also been flooded 15–20 million years ago. The plains are lined by rows of low sandhills parallel to the coast, created at times when the coastline was at that level. Prior to European settlement, much of the land between the sandhills was swamp fed by streams and subject to inundation. A network of drains totalling 1450 km has been constructed to channel the water away through the sandhills to the ocean. Important areas of wetland remain including the lakes and lagoons such as the southern end of the Coorong and Bool Lagoon. Meanwhile, areas of upland in the Limestone Coast include the volcanic craters of Mount Gambier.

▸Climate197 chars

The Mediterranean climate of this coast is cool and moist with wet winters. Generally the only times where it may be considered as "cold" is during a cold-front which happens quite often in winter.

▸By car257 chars

The primary way to get into the Limestone Coast is by car from the state's capital; Adelaide is via a 4 hour drive South East via the M1 South Eastern Freeway and the A8 Dukes Highway. To get to Mt. Gambier, you'd then have to take the A66 route down south.

▸By plane190 chars

1 Mount Gambier Airport (MGB IATA) (about 10 minutes from Mount Gambier). REX is the only airline which flies to Mt Gambier from Adelaide. The tickets vary widely in price from $120 to $270.

▸By bus466 chars

From Adelaide, bus tickets for Adelaide can be purchased at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre (cash or cheque only) to Mount Gambier. The bus service from Adelaide is run by Premier Stateliner. It can be just as easy to make a phone booking with Premier Stateliner. Thursdays and Fridays you can get from Adelaide to Mt Gambier at 8:15AM or 5:30PM. Sundays the bus leaves Adelaide at 2:45PM. Other days the service leaves at 8:15AM. The bus trip takes about six hours.

▸By train500 chars

From Melbourne, the V-Line service runs Melbourne to Warrnambool on the train, then from Warrnambool to Mt Gambier as a coach service (it also goes via Portland). V-Line services from Mt Gambier are "no reserve", you pay the driver on the day — bring exact change. V-Line services are generally not busy except during school holidays. They run once a day. From Mount Gambier, the coach does go for a little bit around but apart from going to Mount Gambier, there is no other train stations elsewhere.

▸See735 chars

The Limestone Coast is home to South Australia's one and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, Naracoorte Caves National Park full of mammalian fossils which contain the fossils of enormous extinct Australian megafauna such as the marsupial lion, giant kangaroo as well as, which may sound creepy to some; five-metre-long snakes. This was because over the last couple of million years ago, geological processes brought sand and soil into the caves creating thick sedimentary deposits which preserved the remains of the animal living in and around the caves at the time. Up to 20 species of megafauna are preserved at a remarkable level across multiple caves, which all of these make the site is one of the jewels in Australian paleontology.

▸Do370 chars

Cave diving — The part of the region around and including the City of Mount Gambier is famous for its sinkholes and water-filled caves. Extraordinary dives take place in some of these sinkholes but if you intend to do this, make sure you are appropriately trained as this activity has claimed lives in the past. Refer to Diving in South Australia for more information.

▸Coonawarra814 chars

Coonawarra, a rural locality on the Limestone Coast, is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, full of plum and blackcurrant fruit, so much so that successes with other grape varieties is overlooked. In the early days Shiraz was the most widely planted grape, and it produces some star wines such as Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz (formerly Michael Hermitage). The limestone geology also suits Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon blanc.

Coonawarra has a membership organisation for wineries, the Coonawarra Vignerons Association. Some of the wineries with cellar doors include Wynns Coonawarra Estate. Other wineries who use fruit from the Coonawarra include Yalumba and Penfolds.

1 Hollick. Winery with an award-winning restaurant, serving lunch using seasonal ingredients, and with wine pairings available.

▸Stay safe324 chars

Crime isn't generally a problem in the Limestone Coast, and following the normal protocols for what you would normally be doing elsewhere would just do you fine.

As a relatively homogeneous part of Australia, xenophobia exists in the Limestone Coast, though as a tourist, your chances of encountering overt racism are slim.

▸Go next157 chars

Head southeast to the South West Coast of Victoria, or east to the Wimmera region of Victoria

Head northwest to the Murray & Mallee region of South Australia

Location and description

[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) From the Victoria border to the Younghusband Peninsula this area has been settled since colonisation by mainly European settlers in the 1840s, displacing an indigenous population that had resided in the region for thousands of years. The region currently supports farming, viticulture, forestry and tourism. Towns include Bordertown, Keith, Millicent, Mount Gambier, Penola, and Naracoorte and the coastal resorts of Beachport, Kingston SE and Robe. Much of the Limestone Coast is low-lying, and was inundated by sea as recently as 2 million years ago. It had previously also been flooded 15–20 million years ago. The plains are lined by rows of low sandhills parallel to the coast, created at times when the coastline was at that level. Prior to European settlement, much of the land between the sandhills was swamp fed by streams and subject to inundation. A network of drains totalling 1450 km has been constructed to channel the water away through the sandhills to the ocean. Important areas of wetland remain including the lakes and lagoons such as the southern end of the Coorong and Bool Lagoon. Meanwhile, areas of upland in the Limestone Coast include the volcanic craters of Mount Gambier. The Mediterranean climate of this coast is cool and moist with wet winters.

History

[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) There are deep limestone deposits created from the coral and other sealife. The limestone in Victoria Fossil Cave and the other Naracoorte Caves contains are Australia's biggest source of fossils and a World Heritage Site.

Ecology

[edit] Main article: Naracoorte woodlands Flora[edit] The natural vegetation was woodland of river red gum and other eucalyptus trees. Fauna[edit] Although there are few purely endemic species the coast is rich in wildlife including possums, Cercartetus pygmy possums, Petaurus Gliding possums, and other marsupials many of which do not spread further west than here. Endemic species include reptiles such as the striped legless lizard (Delma impar) and invertebrates like an endemic cave cricket. The Naracoorte caves are occupied by the common bent-wing bat. The lakes and lagoons are particularly important habitats for waterbirds such as black swan, grey teal, Pacific black duck, and especially the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) which winters here along with many other birds including the red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis), sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), and curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea). Most of the original habitat has been cleared for agriculture and only fragments remain (particularly in areas of wetland) with Coorong National Park and Canunda National Park being the largest areas. Therefore, most indigenous wildlife has also disappeared or been severely reduced in number with introduced species of animals an ongoing threat to that which remains.