Naracoorte SA

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Naracoorte was formed from the merger of two towns, Kincraig, founded in 1845 by Scottish explorer William Macintosh, and Narracoorte, established as a government settlement in 1847. The name has gone through a number of spellings, and is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal words for place of running water or large waterhole.

Naracoorte has historically been a service centre for the sheep, cattle and wheat farming industries in the surrounding area. In recent decades, tourism has become a major industry due to the town's proximity to several wine regions and internationally recognised natural features. The World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves and the Ramsar listed Bool Lagoon are located near the town.

Our first destination to explore was Naracoorte Caves, where we joined a guided tour of the Victoria Cave, which has and continues to deliver a treasure trove of fossils to palaeontologists. The limestone features in the cave were impressive, including the skeletal remains of a Marsupial Lion and a Giant Kangaroo. Following on, we decided to undertake a self guided tour of the Stick Tomato Cave, which was also interesting. An above ground walk around the entrances to the various caves was next, including the Bat Cave, which we unfortunately couldn’t visit due to being breeding season for the micro bats that inhabit the cave.

We walked into the main street of town the next morning along the Creek Track, stopping off at the Swimming Lake (or lack thereof due to winter). This would be an amazing place to cool off in summer, with the lake having been built by town volunteer labour. We then drove to Bool Lagoon to do some bird watching, and then on to the small town of Penola.

In driving through the area, grape vines stretched into the distance as far as the eye could see, the area being the Coonawarra, a famous producer of red wines. Penola is known as the central location in the life of Mary McKillop (St. Mary of the Cross), where she started a school. Mary was the first Australian to gain Roman Catholic sainthood, in 2010. Mary McKillop also has a strong connection to the Central Coast, and I often rode my road bike past her former church at South Kincumber.

We visited the historic Petticoat Lane whilst in Penola, which still retains its original cottages and gardens, enabling the visitor to experience the 19^th century cottages and view their stories and experiences. The tiny house of Christopher Sharam (a Bootmaker) and his wife, Ellen, was an eye opener, considering they raised fifteen children in the a space no bigger than a modern living room. It makes our modern homes seem luxurious palaces.

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