Kimberley Warm Springs facts for kids
Kimberley Warm Springs is a special natural pool of warm water found in the town of Kimberley, in North West Tasmania. It's a "geothermal feature," which means the water is heated naturally by the Earth deep underground. This spot is also a visitor site where people can come and enjoy the warm water.
What are Warm Springs?
Warm springs are places where water flows out of the ground at a temperature much warmer than the air around it. The water at Kimberley Warm Springs stays at a constant temperature of about 24 to 25 degrees Celsius. This is like a warm bath! The water gets its heat from hot rocks deep inside the Earth. The water also has some natural minerals dissolved in it, like calcium and bicarbonate, but not too many.
A Special Place to Visit
The Kimberley Warm Springs are part of a protected area called the Kimberley Warm Springs Reserve. This reserve is looked after by the Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. It's a great place for a day out!
The reserve has a large, man-made pool that is about 13 metres wide and 20 metres long, and about 1.2 metres deep. This is a good size for swimming and relaxing. There's also a covered barbecue area, parking for cars, and public toilets, making it easy for families to visit. You can find the springs easily from Warm Springs Road, which is off Morrison Street in Kimberley. There are clear signs to guide you.
Home to Unique Life
The Kimberley Warm Springs are very special because they are the only warm springs of their kind in the whole north-west of Tasmania. This unique environment is home to some rare creatures. For example, there's a type of snail that lives only in these springs and nowhere else in the world! This is called an "endemic" species. There's also a type of algae (a simple plant-like organism) called Pithophora spp. that had never been seen south of Sydney before it was found here.
Sometimes, too much sunlight can cause a lot of algae to grow in the pool. When this happens, the algae is carefully removed to keep the sandy bottom of the spring clear and clean for visitors.
