Utilising Ulladulla’s many Natural Resources to Develop Geotourism
What the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk Volunteers have achieved since 2012?
Where’s Ulladulla?
Bathurst
UlladullaUlladulla
At the centre of Shoalhaven Shire
Sydney Basin 1: 500K Geology Sheet
What features make Shoalhaven UNIQUE? • Coastal location• Spectacular Landscape• Ease of access• Geology• World class Fossils
View across Ulladulla Harbour North Head to Warden Head
Ulladulla’s Backdrop
Escarpment and rugged wilderness carved by Rivers
Access - Harbour is on Princes Highway
Deposited in cold water on Gondwana’s coast from ~295Ma to 265Ma ago
Sedimentary rock sequence in the ShoalhavenBerry Siltstone Siltstone with [<550m thick] minor sandstone
Richly fossiliferous
Sea flooded eroded basement
Rock hardness has controlled Landscape
Ulladulla rock platforms
Guided Fossil Walk
Geological Time WalkFossil Centre
Extent of Shoalhaven Grouphosting abundant marine fossils
Features:- Many National Parks 2 Marine Parks Clyde & Shoalhaven RiversCoastal lakes/esturaries
Ulladulla Harbour Fossil Walk Needed catchy name
Ulladulla
Gerroa
DurrasThe Gondwana Coast
Our Logo
The logo’s elements:- Circular shape defines
the Gondwana Coast Green symbolises many
& varied National Parks Red symbolises route of
Princes Highway Blue shell symbolises
marine fossils on the Gondwana Coast
Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk IncCurrent Projects to expand Geotourism
• Brodie Park Time Walk– Showcases geological history of South Coast
• Fossil Centre– FREE display of museum quality local and Australian
fossils• Fossil Discovery Trail for 1o and 2o school groups
How many Time Walks are there in the World?
Many one-off special event Time Walks - offered only one day per year
Guided Walk through TimeHallett Cove SA
Permanent set ups - RARE
• Britain has one• USA has 3• Australia has 2; Ulladulla will become the 3rd
British Geological Survey Time Walkin Keyworth, Nottingham (Est. 2012)
• Britain’s 3.3Bn history in 130m path• Not to scale• Uses large boulders – one from Outer Hebrides• Generous quarry and tile sponsorship
Glossy leaflet
Boulder and Tile descriptions in Leaflet
Briscoe Geology Park in Elementary School – Ashland OR
• Geology Park has 3 different Time Walks– Earth Walk covers 4.6Bn yrs in 20m– Life Walk covers 541Ma in 60m– Human Walk covers last 50K yrs in 8m
Established in 2009
Mt Diablo, CALIFORNIA - Geological Time Trail
Officially opened 2008 • Trail has 20 descriptive signs• Trail is > 10kms long• Trail rises ~900m
• Trail goes from youngest to oldest
Journeys through 180Ma of geological time
Grand Canyon Trail of Time – est. 2012
Grand Canyon Time TrailCovers 4.6Bn in 4.6km
Grand Canyon Time Trail
Grand Canyon Time TrailDescends ~1.3km and trail is >5km long
Age of Fishes Museum - Time Walk (est. 2006) Focus is on Evolution of Life
Dr Alex Ritchie’s Geological Period Signs
Boulders from all over Australia
Geoscience Australia - Australian Geological Time Walk
Covers Earth’s 4.6Bn history in 1.15km
Geoscience Australia’s Building
The Ulladulla Time Walk
• Theme is 510Ma history of South Coast– Uses >30 boulders placed chronologically and to scale
along 255m path• Scale 1 metre = 2Ma; or (Primary student’s pace = 1Ma)• 50 words on cast bronze plaques describe each boulder
• Parallel theme - evolution of life on Earth– A3 size laser etched signs for each geological period
with images of animals and plants– Bronze strips across path record the 5 major mass
extinction events
First Boulders placed to Scale
Work commenced in Oct 2013
Small gardens - flexible edge strips
Mulch was organic – pine chips
Planting has begun
Changed to matching rock mulches
Ferricrete; Limestone; Silcretein garden bed with quality edging
Earth’s 5 Major Mass Extinctions
Inlaid 2 metre long Bronze strips record each event
Will seek sponsors for funding shortfall
Our Fossil Centre – Heritage Cottage (c1850)
Former Tenant - “The Tea House”
That concludes my presentationThank you
There’ll be plenty of time to answer your questions in the panel discussion