Caravan World – May 2019

164 caravanworld.com.au

toa particularkindoftreethatgrowshere

amongthehills.

ThefirstEuropeantopassthroughthe

areawasexplorerJohnMcDouallStuart

in1858.AfterteenagerWillieHutchinson

discoveredopalin1915,andminerscame

indrovestoclawit fromthestonyearth,

Aboriginalpeoplenamedthetownsite

‘KupakuPiti’,meaningwhiteman'shole.

By2000,thereweremorethan250,000

mineshaftentrancesinthearea,and

stillcounting.

TheAntakirinjaMatu-Yankunytjatjara

peoplehavea deepspiritualconnectionto

theirCountry,whichisembeddedinthe

landformsandnaturalenvironment.Many

featuresarethesubjectofDreamingstories

thatweavetheirwayacrossthelandscape

forthousandsofkilometres,transcending

stateborders.

TheBreakawayscomprisea traditional

teachingplaceforyoungmenand

AntakirinjaMatu-Yankunytjatjaraculture

doesnotpermitfulldetailsofthestoriesto

besharedbeyondgenderrestrictionsorwith

peopleotherthancertainelderswithintheir

community.However,someinformationhas

beensharedwiththepublicthathelpsusto

understandtheAboriginalperspectiveof

theBreakawaysandprovidesa ‘preview’of

theCreationstorybehindthelandforms.

TheKanku-BreakawaysConservation

Parkis30kmnorthofCooberPedyvia

theStuartHighway.CooberPedyis

845kmnorthofAdelaide.

Therearenofacilitiesor

accommodationwithintheparkandall

fuelandsuppliesmaybeobtainedin

CooberPedy.Apermitisrequiredto

entertheparkandthiscanbeobtained

fromtheCooberPedyVisitorCentre.

CooberPedyalsohasarangeof

accommodationoptionsincludingfrom

hotels,motelsandcaravanparks.

CooberPedyVisitorInformationCentre

HutchisonSt,CooberPedy

Ph:(08) 86724617 or 1800637076

Web:www.cooberpedy.net

BreakawaysConservationPark

Co-ManagementBoard

HutchisonStreet,CooberPedy

Ph:(08) 86724600

TheAboriginalHeritageOfficer

UmoonaCommunityCouncil

Ph:(08) 86725605

fast

HIGHLIGHTS

Stunninggeologicalformations

FascinatingAboriginalculture

Outstanding desert environment

RA

RVInfrastructure:

Attractions: 4 stars

X-Factor:4 stars

For example, one of the most distinctive

formations is a pair of hills, one chalky

white and the other tawny gold, commonly

referred to by non-Indigenous people as

‘Salt and Pepper’ or ‘The Castle’. Though

close together and joined by a low saddle,

the stark difference in colouring has been

caused by a variation in weathering, the

white hill having eroded faster than the

brown one to reveal a different layer of

colourful oxides in the rock.

Whatever the cause, the Aboriginal name

for the site is ‘Papa Kutjara’, or two dogs

sitting down. The peaked hill nearby is

‘Wati’ (Man) who is the owner of the dogs.

Beyond Two Dogs is ‘Kalaya’, a cluster of hills

presided over by Father Emu, who is looking

after his little chicks. This is a very important

place and Emu is revered as the one-time

guardian of the whole area. From Lookout

Two you can see the prominent formations

known as Willy Wagtail, in the foreground,

and Bearded Dragon Lizard, which is a totem

for the Antakirinja people.

There is also much evidence of past

Aboriginal occupation in the Breakaways,

in the form of quarrying and tool-making

sites, and stone tools that show a high level

of workmanship. Many artefact scatters are

closely linked with ritual and ceremonial

sites, and the hills are an important source

RATINGS

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Peake Creek

Arckari

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Ck

MillerCree

k

LoraCreek

Wa

rrin

er Creek

NorthCk

StuartCk

roF

me

R.

Winti

nnaCk

EvelynCk

Wat

tiwa

rrig

anna

Ck

ProhibitedWoomeraArea

LakeHart

YounghusbandLake

Cad Lakeracanna

KatiEyreThanda(South)Lake

ToLarrkeens

KatEiyTrehandaLake

(North)

Maralinga

Tjarutja

KalamurinaPvt.NR

TorrensLake

NP

Yellabinna

WA

KatiThanda-LakeEyre

NP

MtWilloughby

TallaringaCP IPA

YellabinnaRR

DesertSimpson

RR

And

amo

oka

Ran

seg

MadiganGulf

SimpsonDesert

Great Victoria Desert

TirariDesert

Permit

Required

A87

A87

Googs Tk

Emu

Roa

d

Anne

Beadell

Highway

Trans

Access Road

Trans Acce

ss Road

William Creek

Road

Kem

pe

Roa

d

Oodnadatta Track

Bor

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Oly

mp

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Tra

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Way

Ood

nad

atta

Stuar

t

Hig

hwa

y Coward Springs

Twins''The

'Arckaringa'

'Sandstone'

'Welbourn Hill'

'Arcoona'

Downs''Evelyn

'MillersCreek'

'Mulga WellOutstation'

'Mulgathing' 'Mulgaria'

'MountVivian'

'Andamooka'

'Bulgunnia'

'MountEba'

'MabelCreek'

'Jumbuck'

Emu

Tarcoola

Gina(abandoned)

Algebuckina(ruins)

Carnes

Dam VillageOlympic

WilliamCreek

Glendambo

Cadney Park

Oodnadatta

Immarna Andamooka

Mintabie

DownsRoxby

CooberPedy

(^05025) km
V
© Hema Maps
Kanku-Breakaways
Conser tion Park