Presentation by Phil Smart to the Geotourism Workshop of SEGRA 2015 about the Gondwana Fossil Walk and other geotourism developments at Ulladulla, New South Wales

2. Utilising Ulladulla’s many Natural
Resources to Develop Geotourism
What the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk
Volunteers have achieved since 2012?

3. Where’s
Ulladulla?
Bathurst
Ulladulla
Ulladulla
At the centre of Shoalhaven Shire

4. Sydney Basin 1: 500K Geology Sheet
What features make
Shoalhaven
• Coastal location
• Spectacular Landscape
• Ease of access
• Geology
• World class Fossils

5. View across Ulladulla Harbour
North Head to Warden Head

6. Ulladulla’s Backdrop
Escarpment and rugged wilderness carved by Rivers

7. Access - Harbour is on Princes Highway

8. Deposited in cold water on
Gondwana’s coast from
~295Ma to 265Ma ago
Sedimentary rock sequence in the Shoalhaven
Berry Siltstone Siltstone with
[<550m thick] minor sandstone
Richly fossiliferous
Sea flooded eroded basement

9. Rock hardness has controlled Landscape

10. Ulladulla rock platforms
Guided Fossil Walk
Geological Time Walk
Fossil Centre

11. Extent of Shoalhaven Group
hosting abundant marine fossils
Features:-
 Many National Parks
 2 Marine Parks
 Clyde & Shoalhaven Rivers
Coastal lakes/esturaries
Ulladulla Harbour Fossil Walk
Needed catchy name
Ulladulla
Gerroa
Durras
The Gondwana Coast

12. 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

13. Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk Inc
Current 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

14. 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 Time
Hallett Cove SA

15. Permanent set ups - RARE
• Britain has one
• USA has 3
• Australia has 2; Ulladulla will become the 3rd

16. British Geological Survey Time Walk
in 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

17. Boulder and Tile descriptions in Leaflet

18. 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

19. 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

20. Grand Canyon Trail of Time – est. 2012

21. Grand Canyon Time Trail
Covers 4.6Bn in 4.6km

22. Grand Canyon
Time Trail

23. Grand Canyon Time Trail
Descends ~1.3km and trail is >5km long

24. Age of Fishes Museum - Time Walk (est. 2006)
Focus is on Evolution of Life

25. Dr Alex Ritchie’s Geological Period Signs

26. Boulders from all over Australia
Geoscience Australia - Australian Geological Time Walk

27. Covers Earth’s 4.6Bn history in 1.15km
Geoscience Australia’s Building

28. 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

29. First Boulders placed to Scale
Work commenced in Oct 2013

30. Small gardens - flexible edge strips
Mulch was organic – pine chips

31. Planting has begun
Changed to matching rock mulches

32. Ferricrete; Limestone; Silcrete
in garden bed with quality edging

33. Earth’s 5 Major Mass Extinctions
Inlaid 2 metre long Bronze strips record each event

34. Will seek sponsors for funding shortfall

35. Our Fossil Centre – Heritage Cottage (c1850)

36. Former Tenant - “The Tea House”

37. That concludes my presentation
Thank you
There’ll be plenty of time to answer
your questions in the panel discussion