| Kanku - Breakaways Conservation Park | |
|---|---|
  Kanku - Breakaways Conservation Park | |
| Location | South Australia |
| Nearest city | Coober Pedy |
| Coordinates | 28°50′55″S134°43′40″E / 28.84861°S 134.72778°E /-28.84861; 134.72778 |
| Area | 143.23 km2 (55.30 sq mi)[2] |
| Established | 4 July 2013 (2013-07-04)[3] |
| Governing body | Department for Environment and Water Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Corporation District Council of Coober Pedy |
| Website | Official website |
TheKanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, formerly known asThe Breakaways Reserve or simplyThe Breakaways, is aprotected area in northernSouth Australia, just off theStuart Highway 33 km (21 mi) north ofCoober Pedy.[4]
The park got the name "The Breakaways" because themesas and low hills appear from a distance as if "broken away" from the higher ground of the escarpment. The site is significant for theAntakirinja Matuntjara Yankunytjatjara People,[5] whose name for the area isUmoona, meaning "long life", a name also given to a species of tree found in the area, known as themulga tree.[6]
The conservation park was renamed as theKanku-Breakaways Conservation Park on 19 November 2015.[7][8]
The Breakaways CP is managed under a co-management agreement by theDepartment of Environment, Water, and Natural Resources in conjunction with the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Corporation and theDistrict Council of Coober Pedy.[9][10]
The semi-arid desert climatic conditions of the park are similar to those ofCoober Pedy, with cool nights and very hot days, and summer temperatures can sometimes exceed 45 °C (113 °F).[11]
Access to the main lookout over the site is provided by a 5 km (3.1 mi) dirt road from the sealed Stuart Highway, or alternatively, via the Dog Fence Scenic Tourist Drive Road.[6] A 65.8 km (40.9 mi) circuit can be made by mountain bike from Coober Pedy along the Stuart Highway to the Breakaways, along the dog fence track and returning to Coober Pedy by the Oodnadatta Track.[12]
Tours from Coober Pedy are conducted by several tour operators. Permits for self-guided visits to the area cost A$10 Per Vehicle ($8 Concession) and are available from the Tourist Information Centre in the District Council Office on Hutchinson Street, Coober Pedy.[13][14]
