The Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve, as part of the Kangaroo Valley Group of Nature Reserves, is a protected area located on the cliffs and plateaus of the Kangaroo Valley in the Southern Highlands and South Coast regions of New South Wales in eastern Australia. The Reserve is situated approximately south of Sydney, southwest of Wollongong and northwest of . The Reserve has a total area of 1684 hectares, and includes 11 privately owned properties. It is critical for it to be pristine for a variety of reasons, not the least the catchment of water, as the Reserve floor flows into the Kangaroo Valley River and the Shoalhaven River, from which the Sydney Water Authority draws water to supply large populations in Sydney and Wollongong.
Established in 2001, the Reserve is ecologically representative of the local Shoalhaven area, which is home to temperate rainforest and threatened species; such as the Brush-tailed rock-wallaby and the apex predator, the tiger quoll. It has a protective covenant placed on it, with the ultimate purpose to ensure the protection of the natural heritage of the area.
In 2003, Devils Glen, Red Rocks and Black Ash Nature Reserves were amalgamated into Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve. This is now a part of the Kangaroo Valley National Parks, consisting of the smaller refuges of Kangaroo River, Cambewarra Range, Barrengarry and Rodway Nature Reserves, which are covered by the Southern Regional Forest Agreement. The Illawarra-Shoalhaven subtropical rainforest occurs in the reserve.
Kangaroo valley is part of a system of conservation reserves, which includes Kangaroo River Nature Reserve and Barrengarry Nature Reserve. National parks in the area including the Morton National Park, Budderoo National Park and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve.
Geology and soils The Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve is located in the southern part of the Sydney Basin. The Sydney Basin is located on the central east coast of New South Wales, and it covers an area of 36240 km2. The geological basin is filled with sandstones and shales from the Permian to Triassic periods that overlies older basement rocks of the Lachlan Fold Belt.Morgan, G., 2001. Delineation and description of the Eastern Environmental Subregions (provinces) in New South Wales Study. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville
The southern part of the Sydney basin, the Permian deposits, are subdivided into two major units, the Shoalhaven Group and the Illawarra Coal Measures. The Shoalhaven Group consists of a thick succession of fine to medium-grained clastics passing upwards into a number of lava flows and interspersed volcanic flows, forced into the sandstones and originating from the Gerringong Volcanics. The Cambewarra Latite, which comprises highly feldspathic and sparsely porphyritic lava. It has the highest elevation of the group, situated in the Cambewarra Mountain region. The Illawarra Coal Measures originated from a fluvial environment; they have recognizable marine strata. The group is made up of lithic sandstones, siltstones, shales, and coal seams.
Above the Permian deposits overlie Triassic sediments, which are of fluvial origin. The Triassic deposits are subdivided into three major units: the Narrabeen Group, the Hawkesbury Sandstone and the Wianamatta shale. These groups are made up of volcanic rocks and lithic sandstones, with occasional dark coloured shales, but there is no presence of coal found in these groups.Loughnan, F.C. and Ward, C.R., 1971. Pyrophyllite-Bearing Flint Clay from the Cambewarra Area, New South Wales. Clay Minerals, 9(1), pp.83-95, Office of Environment & Heritage, 2016, Bioregions of NSW, NSW Government, viewed 8 June 2016, http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/sydneyBasin.pdf Also, soils of the Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve have good water holding capacity and are fertile.
Climate The average annual rainfall is above the 1200 mm level that applies around the South Coast. Snowfalls are common above than 1000 m on the Central and Southern tablelands through winter, and even as late as November in unusual falls. The mean yearly temperature remains nearly 16 °C along the Coastal plains.James, N. and Gellie, H., (2005). Cunninghamia, 9(2), pp.219–254. Occasional heat waves occur when the conditions like temperature inversions apply, especially in Kangaroo Valley, which acts as a basin, trapping air with inversion layers. The southern regionMella, S. and Modill, P., (2007). Climate changes, Heat illness and Adaptation in NSW. Environment Health, 7(3), pp. 28. coastal section around Kiama shows the highest rainfall in summer, whereas the western region has more rain in winter. The climate of the coastal region remains calmer and warmer than high rainfall in Kangaroo Valley. Prevailing winds during summer come from the north-east onshore, whereas winds come from the west and south-west throughout the winter season, particularly in July and August (the 'westerlies'). North Westerly winds occasionally arise in November, bringing dangerous bushfire conditions. The Coastal face of the region is colder in summer and less vulnerable to mist during winter than Kangaroo Valley, which is enshrouded in mist each morning until the sun lifts the mist layer. The South facing cliffs and plateaus of many sites receive scant sunshine and so are damp and cold in winter.
Rivers and water quality
There are numerous small creeks, such as Nugents Creek and O’Hares Creek, flowing through Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve, which eventually flow into the Kangaroo River and Shoalhaven River and onto Lake Yarrunga that is created by Tallowa Dam. The Berry Mountain Section of Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve has private dams that provide water to nearby residences. The high rainfall brings fast filling of dams, which from the air or satellite imaging, can be seen dotted throughout the region. The Kangaroo River Sub-catchment is part of the drinking water catchment for Sydney, Illawarra and Shoalhaven Regions.Mooney, C and Farrier, D 2002, "A micro case study of the legal and administrative arrangements for river health in the Kangaroo River (NSW)", Water Science and Technology, vol. 45, no. 11, pp. 161–168.
A water quality survey of benthic macroinvertebrates in Nugent's Creek and O’Hares Creeks conducted by students from the University of Wollongong in April 2016 revealed the presence of Mayfly, Stonefly, Caddisfly and Dragonfly larvae. The largest number of larvae found, were that of the mayfly and stonefly; these two species are sensitive to pollution and are therefore only found in areas where water is of high to good quality i.e. free of pollution.
During the summer, some parts of the river in Cambewarra dry or the water becomes black. 'Black' water is water with little or no oxygen in it. This water is dark in colour due to the destruction of plants and other organic matter so as to have high dissolved organic carbon from decomposing vegetation.
History The range was first in use in the 1800s for red cedar cutting.Vader, John. (1987). Red Cedar. The Tree of Australia’s History. Reed: Sydney. Mr Richard Brooks, who was a soldier-settler in the Kangaroo Valley, held the first licence to cut red cedar in the area in 1836; it is said that cedar was cut from the many arms of the Kangaroo Valley, with the Cambewarra Range likely to have been one such arm. Logging, burning and trampling of the soils continued with farming and stock. The land was cleared in 1861 with increasing settlements. Around the 1960s, it was partially used for gravel extraction. Today, the area is not under economic use anymore.
The Tharawal (Dharawal) people, traditional custodians, gave the name of the area as Cambewarra. They dwelled as groups in coastal areas, now known as Sydney basin, where they relied on hunting and fishing. They hunted different Possums, Wallabies and Goannas, along with their eggs. Many berries and leafy foods are present in the Reserve, used for food and medicine. Modern covered drain, previously known as creeks, were the main source of fresh water for them.
The term 'Cambewarra' means 'mountain of fire'. So, these aboriginal people named the mountain, Cambewarra, because it was believed that volcano eruption once took place in the mountain. Another logic behind the name, Cambewarra, is that the apex of the mountain is mostly covered by the cloud which appears as the smoke coming from the top of the mountain.
Habitat Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve has mixed habitats but is dominated by coastal hinterland subtropical warm temperate rainforest consisting mainly of coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetulum) which occurs in protected slopes and gullies. The Red Rocks plateau (formerly known as Red rocks Nature Reserve) and Black Ash segment (Bellawongarah Mountain) of the reserve is also covered in parts by the lowland dry shrub forest, northern coast and hinterland moist heath shrubland. There are small areas of upland swamp on Bellawongarah Mountain and at the western end of the Red Rocks section. © Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW 2009: Use permitted with appropriate acknowledgment. The Red Rocks Plateau in small areas also include Northern Coastal Hinterland Heath Shrub Dry Forest and a survey conducted in the area found seven forest communities categorized as: coachwood rainforest, Open heathland, Brown barrel (E. fastigata)/Sydney blue gum tall open forest, Silvertop ash woodland, Heathland sedge land, Sydney peppermint open forest and Open woodland-heathland.Mills (1992). Vegetation Mapping Project Red Rocks Nature Reserve. Report for NPWS. The Berry Mountain section of the reserve comprises three types of rainforest: mixed subtropical/warm temperate rainforest, warm temperate rainforest and dry rainforest. The reserve is providing suitable habitat for a large number of threatened animal species and regionally rare plant species.
Flora The Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve, a large portion of which is old growth forest, most commonly comprises coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), Lilly pilly (Syzgium smithii), native laurel (Cryptocarya glaucescens) and sassafras (Doryphora sassafras).Lowland Dry Shrub Forest is found on the plateau tops and upper slopes in Rodway Nature Reserve and in the Red Rocks and Black Ash sections of Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve. Other common trees showing dominance in this region includes red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera), the scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla), brown barrel (E. fastigata), Sydney peppermint (E. piperita), silver quandong, brown beech (Pennantia cunninghamii), soapy box (Citronella moorei), and giant stinging tree (Dendrocnide excelsa).Small patches of Southern Escarpment Shrub/Fern/Herb Moist Forest also occur in these areas, dominated by brown barrel E. fastigata, whitetopped box E. quadrangulata and river peppermint E. elata. Two endangered plant species Solanum celatum and Cryptostylis hunteriana (vulnerable orchid) were also recorded in the Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve. The tall shrubland dominated by Melaleuca linariifolia, together with Leptospermum polygalifolium and Leptomeria acida on plateau tops of Black ash and Red Rocks sections shows significance due to restricted distribution. The Berry Mountain section of Cambewarra Range Nature ReserveFloyd, 1983 showed three separate groupings: firstly, mixed subtropical/warm temperate rainforest on boulder and scree slope, with silver quandong Elaeocarpus kirtonii, maidens blush Sloanea australis and brush cherry Syzygium australe on deeper soil