Dhilba Guuranda-Innes

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park occupies the southwestern tip of Yorke Peninsula, protecting a dramatic landscape of rugged coastline, mallee scrubland, and sandy beaches beloved for swimming, surfing, and fishing. The dual name reflects joint management with the Narungga Nation, with Dhilba Guuranda meaning 'place of the people's stories' in Narungga language. The park protects the site of the former gypsum mining town of Inneston, providing historical interest alongside natural attractions. Reintroduced tammar wallabies, a species once extinct on the mainland, now thrive in the park's mallee. Twenty-two historic shipwrecks lie along the coast, making it a premier destination for recreational divers. The prestigious Yorkes Classic surfing competition is hosted annually at Pondalowie Bay.

One of the park's most significant conservation achievements is the reintroduction of tammar wallabies, which became extinct on the South Australian mainland following European settlement. The park's tammar population, reintroduced from Kangaroo Island stock, has grown to several hundred animals and is a highlight for visitors. Endangered hooded plovers nest on sandy beaches and are protected by management programs. Malleefowl build their distinctive mound nests in dense mallee habitat. Western grey kangaroos and echidnas are common. The endangered southern brown bandicoot occurs in dense coastal scrub. Marine fauna includes Australian sea lions on the offshore rocks and visiting southern right whales in winter.

Mallee eucalypt scrubland dominates the park, characterised by multi-stemmed ridge-fruited mallee and white mallee over a diverse understorey of native hakeas, grevilleas, and heath species. Coastal cliff vegetation includes wind-sculpted silver banksia, coastal daisy bush, and native rosemary adapted to salt spray and persistent wind. Sandy swales between mallee ridges support moonah woodland and native grasses. Spring wildflower displays from August to October feature native daisies, everlastings, and blue pincushions. Remnant native grasslands in the former townsite of Inneston provide interesting habitat transitions between cleared and regenerating vegetation. Seagrass meadows in nearshore waters support diverse marine fauna.

Yorke Peninsula is underlain by Precambrian metamorphic rocks—schists, quartzites, and crystalline limestones—reflecting its origin as part of the ancient continental core of Australia. At the peninsula's southwestern tip, these ancient rocks are exposed in coastal cliffs and rock platforms. Tertiary calcareous sediments overlying the basement form limestone pavements and karst features along parts of the coast. The gypsum deposits at Inneston, mined for over 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, occur in distinctive white-crystalline veins within the sedimentary sequence. Wave erosion has created sea caves, arches, and blowholes in the more soluble limestone formations.

The southwestern tip of Yorke Peninsula experiences a strong maritime Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and wet winters. Annual rainfall averages 370 millimetres with most precipitation falling between May and September. Summer temperatures can reach 40°C during heat waves, though sea breezes moderate conditions near the coast to typically 28–33°C. The exposed southern and western coastline receives persistent swells and strong winds throughout the year, making sea conditions unpredictable. Winter conditions bring cold southwesterly gales and large surf. Spring and autumn provide the most comfortable conditions for camping and outdoor recreation.

The Narungga people have inhabited Yorke Peninsula—known as Guuranda—for thousands of years, with the southwestern tip providing abundant coastal food resources including fish, shellfish, seabirds, and occasional stranded whales and sea lions. Narungga connection to Country at Dhilba Guuranda-Innes is celebrated through the park's dual name and joint management framework. European settlement from the 1850s brought pastoral development and gypsum mining. The town of Inneston was established in 1913 to support mining operations and housed up to 150 residents at its peak. Mining ceased in 1930 when the operation became uneconomical, leaving the townsite as a ghost town within what would become the national park.

Innes National Park was originally proclaimed in 1970 to protect the natural values of the Yorke Peninsula tip. The park was renamed Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park in 2020 following agreement with the Narungga Nation, recognising their custodianship and the importance of a co-managed partnership. The formal co-management agreement with Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation is one of South Australia's most significant formal recognition of Indigenous land management rights. The Inneston Historic Townsite within the park has been progressively conserved and interpreted, and several original stone buildings remain standing. Conservation programs for tammar wallabies and hooded plovers have been central to the park's management since the 1990s.

Twenty-two shipwrecks lie within diving distance of the coast, with the MV Ethel reef accessible by snorkel from the beach. Pondalowie Bay is the venue for the annual Yorkes Classic surfing competition and offers year-round surf opportunities. Salthole cove provides sheltered swimming and snorkelling. The Inneston Historic Townsite can be explored via walking trails past the restored gypsum mining buildings, workers' cottages, and machinery. Camel Rock picnic area provides coastal views across the Southern Ocean. Walking trails range from short strolls to day hikes across coastal headlands with excellent whale and sea lion viewing from May to October.

Multiple campgrounds including Browns Beach and Pondalowie Bay provide tent and caravan camping with toilets; facilities vary by site. Several holiday cottages in the historic Inneston townsite can be booked through National Parks. The nearest town is Stenhouse Bay at the park boundary, with Yorketown and Minlaton providing larger services. The park is approximately 250 kilometres from Adelaide via the Yorke Highway. A National Parks Pass or daily entry fee is required. 4WD access provides options along some beach and track routes, though conventional vehicles are adequate for main access roads. Camping bookings are essential in peak periods.

Conservation priorities include maintaining the tammar wallaby population, protecting hooded plover nesting sites, and managing introduced predators. A large predator-proof exclosure fence encloses the main tammar wallaby habitat. Annual hooded plover nest monitoring with fox baiting in the breeding season protects this vulnerable species. Restoration of Inneston townsite vegetation balances heritage conservation with natural regeneration. Marine environment monitoring tracks reef health and the impacts of recreational fishing. Narungga Nation rangers contribute to conservation management through their deep cultural knowledge of Country and commitment to maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations.