General Description
Newhaven Sanctuary
An enormous wind-driven sand blanket covers much of central Australia, but at Newhaven, shimmering salt lakes, pastel ochre clay pans, vibrant red parallel dunes, undulating calcareous plains and dramatic purple-red quartzite mountains cut with scarps and gorges punctuate the view. Each of these landforms supports its own diverse range of plant communities that vary in response to topography, soil and fire history. These communities create a scattered patchwork of textured greens, yellows and greys, providing stark contrast to the colours of the underlying terrain.
Parallel sand ridges, described by an explorer as “an ocean of spinifex covered sand waves” characterise the southern-most parts of Newhaven. Further north, an extensive system of salt lakes lay strewn along an ancient calcareous drainage line from east to west across the property, culminating in the 16 km long Lake Bennett. The lake rarely contain water, except after periods of intense rainfall, but its fringes are home to unique communities of salt adapted plants.
A crescent of bluff-edged ranges dominate the north eastern corner of Newhaven. Black-footed rock wallabies survive among the rugged boulder fields and gorges of these mountains.