Port Kennedy Scientific Park contains a sequence of geomorphic and wetland features that provide a record of sea level and shoreline changes and wetland evolution. The coastline within the area is composed of two main geological units Tamala Limestone and Safety Bay sand. Both of these formations belong to the early Pleistocene. The threatened ecological sedgelands in holocene dune swales, are known to occur in these wetlands and have been classified a Bush Forever site.
A short 2-3 minute walk from the suggested parking area on a soft sandy track will have you at the cache location.
To log this cache you will need to answer the following questions, some information may or may not be included on the cache page.
- What type of geological formation is located at the Geological feature way point?
- Examine this feature and describe what it looks like, IE. smooth/rough fine/coarse texture and colour?
- What is your definition of Holocene?
- Depending on what time of the year you visit will hinge on what you see. Please describe the dunes/wetlands area you see at the elevated cache location?
- If you see any type of wildlife whilst visiting the park, please describe as best you can what it was?
Geomorphology is the study of landforms, their processes, form and sediments at the surface of the Earth (and sometimes on other planets). Study includes looking at landscapes to work out how the earth surface processes, such as air, water and ice, can mould the landscape. Landforms are produced by erosion or deposition, as rock and sediment is worn away by these earth-surface processes and transported and deposited to different localities. The different climatic environments produce different types of landforms. The landforms of deserts, such as sand dunes and ergs, are a world apart from the glacial features found in polar and sub-polar regions.
The Park has been reserved for the purpose of conservation of the rare holocene dune swales, flora and fauna. Scientific research, science education and low impact recreation are consistent with the requirement to protect the wetlands and are considered suitable uses for this area. The Becher Point Wetlands site is a wetland nature reserve on the Swan coastal plain of south Western Australia. The 677-hectare (1,670-acre) coastal site lies in the City of Rockingham, about 50 kilometres south of Perth along side the Indian Ocean. It comprises about 200 very small seasonal wetlands among the numerous sand ridges.
The nature reserve was established in 1996-97; the site is recognised as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, under which it was designated Ramsar Site 1048 on 5 January 2001. The Rockingham-Becher Plain is globally unique as arguably the best example of a consistently-developed beach ridge complex in the world (Semeniuk Research Group, 1991). The Becher Point Wetlands, which occur in the swales of the ridges, are the only place in Australia that shows the progression of old to young wetlands, and they are recognised as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The wetlands are arranged in about ten groups roughly parallel to the coast, and separated by sand ridges. The system contains examples of shrub swamps and seasonal marshes formed in a sequence of inter-dunal swales resulting from coastal advancement over the last five thousand years, a type of wetland system rare in Australia.
They form one of the youngest wetland systems on the Swan Coastal Plain and show a continuum of development in hydrology, geomorphology and vegetation unique in Western Australia. Annual rainfall in Rockingham is approximately 818 millimetres, mainly falling in winter from May to August, while annual evaporation is about 1,900 millimetres. The sites wetlands are seasonal; they normally lack surface water in summer and autumn. The fresh surface water of winter comes from rainfall and groundwater flow and is usually less than 0.3 metres deep. The park also contains significant flora and fauna, including a ‘threatened ecological communities' sedgelands in Holocene dune swales. Native fauna found at the site include the quenda, southern carpet python, dugite and black-striped sanke. At least four species of frogs and 21 reptiles have been recorded. The coast and dunes are home to a range of birds including cormorants, Australasian Gannet, Australian Pied Oystercatcher and Roseate Tern. Australian Kestrel, Common Bronzewing,Black-shouldered Kite and White-browed Scrubwren are among the bushbirds.