Visit

 

Please note – the Park will be opening to visitors from 16 March 2024

We invite you to visit and join us on this journey of conservation and education, as world-leading researchers continue to explore the ancient sea floor that lies within the Ediacara Hills, and as we develop the programs to make these discoveries accessible for generations to come.

VISIT

TAKE A TOUR OF THIS LIFE-CHANGING SITE

MAKE A BOOKING, FOSSIL FANS

When Sir David Attenborough was granted special access to Nilpena to film First Life, he nominated South Australia’s deservedly famous Flinders Ranges as one of his favourite places on earth.  You can now gain the same access.  Discover for yourself the remarkable ancient sea floor fossils that provided such added insight into the origins of early animal life that they prompted the declaration of a new geological period, named for the nearby Ediacara Hills.  This unique fossil trove is located some 550 kilometres north of Adelaide.  Absolutely nowhere else in the world would you be privileged to view these delicate imprints up close and to learn about the lives of these 550 million-year-old creatures.  Nilpena is integral to Australia’s upcoming bid for a Flinders Ranges World Heritage listing.

A World-Class Fossil Exhibit in the Blacksmith’s Shop

We know that, for various reasons, not everyone who comes to visit the new Nilpena Ediacara National Park will be able to see these fossil treasures in the ground. Paths and terrain may be difficult for some to negotiate and weather conditions can be capricious.  However, the historic Blacksmith’s Shop at Nilpena has been extensively restored and re-purposed to serve as a brilliantly immersive and interpretive experience.  It houses one of the world’s great fossil beds, known as Alice’s Restaurant Bed (where you can get anything you want), which showcases the beginnings of animal life on earth.  This building is an outreach centre to inspire everyone, especially school children, to investigate a unique and mysterious part of our planet’s history and to learn more about the natural world.

The new Nilpena Ediacara National Park is managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.  A Google search will show you that it lies 30 minutes north of Parachilna and 40 minutes south of Leigh Creek – click here.  You can take advantage of various accommodation options at towns such as Quorn, Blinman and Hawker.

SLIDE ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO WITNESS THE TRANSFORMATION!

Ediacaran fossils
Click here for information about the park

VISIT

TOUR BOOKINGS

Visit parks.sa.gov.au –  click here to book for your Ediacara Experience Tour re-commencing Saturday 16 March.

AVAILABLE TOURS

  • Ediacara Experience Tour

    Features a fully guided tour of the pastoral precinct, a memorable audiovisual experience at the brilliantly staged Blacksmith’s Shop interpretative centre and a visit to the Nilpena Station Woolshed.

  • The entrance fee of $80 per person includes vehicle transfers from the Nilpena Ediacara National Park entrance and return.  The tour lasts about 2 hours.  Please note – there is no cafe on site, so do bring your own provisions.
  • Tours are scheduled on Monday, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing from the park entrance at 9.30am.
  • Family packages and concessions are available on request.

  • Fossil Field Exploration Tour

    During this up-close and fascinating journey of discovery, an expert guide takes you back in time on a walking tour through the actual Ediacaran fossil bed sites, where paleontologists continue to discover more imprinted evidence of the beginnings of life on Earth.

  • The tour fee of $160 per person includes everything in the Ediacara Experience tour plus an extensive tour to the Fossil Field (in situ research site).  The tour lasts about 3.5 hours.
  • Tours run on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 12.30pm – 4.00pm.
  • Family packages and concessions are available on request.

 

  • For more information on either tours please see the DEW website  or email kym.geue@sa.gov.au

PRE-BOOK YOUR EDIACARA EXPERIENCE TOUR NOW

VIA THE NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

                                                  click here

 

  • 2024 Fossil Field Exploration Tours can also be booked through Nilpena Ediacara Tours in nearby Parachilna.

                                               click here for information

Book the Ediacara Experience Tour Now

VISIT

EDIACARA EDUCATION

Visit the Ediacara fossils gallery at the South Australian Museum

If you want to learn more about the Ediacara Fossils now and can’t get to the Flinders Ranges, you can learn from other sources.  Children, parents and school groups can visit the impressive Ediacara fossils gallery at the South Australian Museum to explore fossil specimens, view animations and fossil models to gain an understanding of how these creatures may have moved and lived on the sea bed 550 million years ago – click here.

Visit Australia’s newest national park, the Nilpena Ediacara National Park

A number of schools have embraced teaching Ediacara and are planning excursions to the new national park.  The Blacksmith’s Shop is the core visitor and education experience.  And once this has been experienced visitors can view further fossils in the field at an active research site in order to gain greater understanding and knowledge.

Ediacaran resources for teachers are being developed

The Foundation is working with the South Australian Science Teachers Association and the University of South Australia plus University of California, Riverside to produce education and learning resources for teachers that follow national curriculum guidelines.

The Year 8 Science electronic Ediacara resource for teachers was launched at the National Science Teachers Conference in July 2023.

To view the resource –

click here

Once on the page, click on the ‘Join now’ button to access.

BEST

global record of the advent & early evolution of animal life

550

Million years old

600

North of Adelaide, South Australia

Route from my location

GOOGLE MAPSAPPLE MAPS