Shackle Road Self Guided Drive - Stop 2 - SA

Stop 2 - Few of a kind

Rocky River is one of the few rivers in South Australia where the entire catchment lies within a protected area. This provides a unique opportunity to maintain much of the rich biodiversity of the park.

A 50 m walk downstream along the Rocky River Hike will take you to a seasonal waterhole (dry in late summer and autumn). Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) are well established in the Rocky and Breakneck rivers, and waterholes such as this are ideal feeding areas. Patient observers may see them feeding during the day, but you may wish to return to this spot at dawn or dusk as these are their preferred feeding times.

Platypus were introduced from the mainland to Flinders Chase during the 1920s and 1940s. The practice of importing rapidly disappearing mainland species for protection ceased in the 1950s. Today Flinders Chase National Park is seen as having a valuable conservation function in its own right.

The striking scarlet bottlebrush (Callistemon rugulosus) which flowers in spring, grows in this area.

The light green, drooping trees on the river bank are native cherry trees (Exocarpos cupressiformis). These trees parasitise the roots of other trees, such as the tall, graceful pink gums (Eucalyptus fasciculosa) in the area. Pink gums can be recognised by their light grey and white trunks and narrow leaves. The oval-leaved swamp gums you saw at the previous stop also occur along the river. Can you spot them?

While you are enjoying this serene location, why not sit quietly and listen to the many bird calls. You may be surprised how many different birds can be detected by their call. Can you hear the raucous but distinctive ‘K-jilk K-jilk’ or ‘E-gypt E-gypt’ call of the crescent honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera).