As promised . . .
The Coorong is a long, shallow lagoon more than 140 km in length that is separated from the Southern Ocean by a narrow sand dune peninsula.
Description
The Coorong Wetlands are one of the most important wetlands in Australia. The wetland consists of ocean beach, the mouth of the River Murray, which flows just over two and a half thousand kilometres from the highlands of New South Wales and Victoria through South Australia, and the shallows of Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert.
The wetland is separated from the ocean by the Younghusband Peninsula. It is basically a narrow strip of water almost 150 kilometres long - at its widest five kilometres across - at its narrowest down to just 100 metres. The total area of the Coorong is approximately 140,500 hectares.
The lakes and estuaries provide a wide range of environments, varying from freshwater to hypersaline, for the most part in a natural state. The system provides a habitat for many animals, some endangered, and in particular provides a refuge for waterbirds.
Human Activity
The Coorong's first inhabitants were the Ngarrindjeri.
The Ngarrindjeri people called it kyrangh - meaning 'the long neck' - which was interpreted as Coorong.
At Raukkan, on the edge of Lake Alexandrina is the grave of one of Australia's most extraordinary men. He was David Unaipon, described by one newspaper as 'Australia's Leonardo Da Vinci'. He was an inventor, writer, poet and activist and his picture appears on the $50 note along with pictures of his Coorong home.
The Coorong National Park was declared in 1966 and in the years that followed the Australian Government signed agreements with Japan and China to make the Coorong a wetland of international significance. The waters are protected not only for native birds, but for the migratory birds that fly thousands of kilometres from Europe and Asia to spend the Northern winter in South Australia.
Whilst the Coorong and the nearby lakes have both historical and cultural significance for all Australians, commercial fishing occurs both along the extensive stretch of beach and in some parts of the wetland complex. The area is home to 37 professional fishermen who created a world first by agreeing to a voluntary self management designed to sustain the ecosystem and their livelihoods. In addition to the fishermen, there are cocklers who scrounge the ocean beach taking 400 tonnes a year of cockles to be sold as bait and for eating.
Bird Life
The Coorong's emblem is the Pelican. This is appropriate given that this is Australia's largest, permanent breeding colony. It is actually a string of islands in the middle of the Coorong where pelicans breed.
There is a diversity of species with many types of waders and waterfowl. A count conducted by the Australasian Wader Studies Group of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union estimated the summer population of waders for the area at 122,000, compared with a South Australian population of 200,000 and an Australian population of 403,000. The migratory waders whose flyways and breedig grounds come under international protection include:
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper C. acuminata
Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus
Other resident species are:
Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
Greenshank Tringa nebularla
Sanderling Calidris alba
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Lesser Golder Plover Pluvialis dominica
Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
Red Knot Calidris canutus
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa staqnatilis
Hooded Plover Charadrius rubricollis
Red-kneed Dotterel Erythroqonys cinctus
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus
Tourism
The Coorong lagoon and the Lakes provide opportunities for all types of boating and sailing. In addition, there are some vantage points and scenic walks that can only be reached by water.
The lagoon extends as one continuous body of water for over 100 Km. The waters from Goolwa to Long Point are suitable for boats with a draught of within a metre. However, the lower portion from Long Point can only be explored by vessels that draw less than half a metre. Parts of the lagoon from Parnka Point to Salt Creek dry up completely during summer.
The freshwater lakes, Alexandrina and Albert, together cover 648 sq Km. The lakes, estuaries, lagoon, river mouth and ocean beach make up a unique wetland ecosystem. Together they provide a wide range of habitats from freshwater to hypersaline. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded, some rare and some endangered. The region is the breeding ground for many of them, the summer destination for huge numbers of migratory birds and an important drought refuge for others.
Often described as an inland sea, the waters provide a haven for salmon, bream, flounder and mullet. The Murray Mouth is one of the most popular spots for mulloway fishing. A total of sixty-five species of fish have been reported in the Coorong and Lakes.
Fun Fact
The Coorong was the setting of the popular 1977 film
Storm Boy.
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