Boorabbin National Park
Boorabbin National Park is a national park in Western Australia, between Coolgardie and Southern Cross. It is located along the Great Eastern Highway for a distance of 25 km with a width of 5 km on each side in Western Australia's eastern goldfields; the park gets its name from the Aboriginal named rock on the edge of the park and the Boorabbin settlement, established in 1898. The Boorabin National Park is situated on top of a plateau; the landscape is sand and the vegetation there is quite distinctive growing in deep sands deposited over 50 million years ago. Today the erosion of this significant landscape is lessening, but as a result of past degradation, the sands are left weathered and lacking in nutrients. Despite this, the vegetation is diverse with countless species thriving in this environment. Vegetation ranges from the rich kwongan heaths and mallee shrublands; the area is recognised for its unique variety of vegetation. With its own designated plateau vegetation system. Other attributes that the park is known for and the wildflowers and Salt Lakes.
Other vegetation that can be found include species of banksia, hakea, sandalwood and grasstree. Two restricted species found in the heathland are Philotheca coccinea. Fauna surveys in the park indicate that 17 native mammal species including the wongai ningaui and bush rats are found within the park boundaries. Other animals including 4 frog species, 52 species of reptile and 51 bird species are resident in the park; the park is home to a rich array of dragon lizards. A bushfire in the park killed three men after a roadblock was lifted on Great Eastern Highway in Coolgardie in December 2007 after a long queue of vehicles were waiting for the highway to open after being closed for most of the day; the three truck drivers tried to turn around and flee the fire but could not escape and died from smoke burns. The bushfire continued to burn for two weeks before being extinguished by fire fighters, authorities had the highway reopened. An inquiry into the fire was commenced in 2008 and when completed, the coroner found that extreme incompetence by the Department of Environment and Conservation had contributed toward the deaths.
The fire burnt out an area of more than 7,500 hectares of the National Park and unallocated crown land. The fire jumped containment lines onto the southern side of Great Eastern Highway. A memorial garden and shelter was opened near the old town site in 2010 for those who died in the 2007 bushfire. Protected areas of Western Australia
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia, 267 km south of Perth. It is named after the two locations at either end of the park which have lighthouses, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste, it is located in the Augusta-Margaret River and Busselton council areas, is claimed to have the highest visiting numbers of any national park in Western Australia. The park received 2.33 million visitors through 2008-2009. It has significant stands of karri and jarrah forest, as well as an extensive network of caves – some of which are accessible by the public; the rugged coastline stretches 120 km from the northern end at Bunker Bay to Augusta at the southern end and has many features of interest including the granite formations, Sugarloaf Rock and Canal Rocks. The coastal area contains many beaches with well-known surf breaks, such as Supertubes, Yallingup beach and Smiths Beach; the vegetation found in the park varies from the coastal scrub-heath along the coastline that opens up into large areas of peppermint trees and karri forest.
A large variety of bird species inhabit the park including many sea birds, red-eared firetail, white-breasted robin, rock parrot and emu. Native mammals that can be found within the park include southern brown bandicoots, western grey kangaroos, western ringtail possums and brush wallabies; the national park was created from crown lands along the Leeuwin – Naturaliste ridge at a time after the main primary industries in the region had been dairying and forestry, when increased land use conflict was arising from the spread of wineries, increased population on hobby farms and other agricultural activities. Since many competing land uses have created a complex land management scenario for state and local government authorities trying to mediate quite conflicting issues; the national park is located on some of the most vulnerable land in the region. The ridge's geology and the variations in vegetation are confined to a number of narrow bands that follow the north–south orientation of the ridge.
The ridge has a whole series of caves. It has the cave known as Devil's Lair which has important archaeological significance. In 2001, the Department of Environment and Conservation opened the Cape to Cape Track, a 135 kilometre walking track along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge. List of caves in Western Australia Protected areas of Western Australia Bastian, L. V. Minerals and their relationships in the Leeuwin block Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Perth: Government Chemical Laboratories, Cape to Cape Walk Track – Hamelin Bay to Cape Leeuwin 29 km" Department of Conservation and Environment, Busselton. N.d. pamphlet Shaping the Capes: Rocks and landforms of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge an explanation of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge. Orr, Kate. and Frewer, Paul Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Management plan: summary of public submissions, November 1988 Como, W. A: Dept. of Conservation and Land Management. Taylor, Neil. Scott, Jane. Thomson-Dans and Banks, Roger. Feast for the Soul pp. 15–20 of The Best of the South West – Landscope special edition, Kensington, W.
A.: Dept. of Conservation and Land Management ISBN 0-7307-5552-5 Western Australian Planning Commission. Statement of planning policy. No. 7, Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge Policy. Perth, W. A.: Govt. Printer – in – Western Australian government gazette, Friday 18 September 1998, No. 189. Special. 5191–5215 p.. Western Australian Planning Commission. Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge planning review: issues and directions: discussion paper for public comment / Western Australian Planning Commission, Shires of Augusta–Margaret River and Busselton.: The Commission, 1995
D'Entrecasteaux National Park
D'Entrecasteaux National Park is a national park in Western Australia, 315 kilometres south of Perth. The park is named after the French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux, the first European to sight the area and name Point D'Entrecasteaux in 1792; the park received 168,497 visitors through 2008-2009. The park stretches 130 km from Black Point in the west to Long Point in the east and extends inland as far as 20 km. Black Point is made of basalt columns from a lava flow. An interesting feature in the park is Yeagarup dune, a mobile 10-kilometre long sand dune found to the west of Lake Jasper; the park contains a great variety of scenery including beaches, sand-dunes, coastal cliffs, coastal heath and pockets of Karri forest. Rivers such as the Warren, the Donnelly and the Shannon flow through the park and discharge into the waters off-shore. Important large scale wetlands, known as the Blackwater, lakes such as Lake Jasper and Lake Yeagarup are found within the park boundaries. Broke Inlet is contained within the park boundaries at the eastern end.
The gneiss basement rocks project through the shallow waters to form small islands in the Inlet. Sandy Island in Windy Harbour is part of the park; the park has an entry fee. Facilities available to visitors include barbecues, toilets, 4WD tracks, camp sites, disabled access and picnic areas. Canoeing facilities exist within the park on the Deep River. Rangers patrol the area; the Bibbulmun Track passes through the park area. The outdoor education organisation, Outward Bound, operate within the park taking school groups on hiking expeditions. Protected areas of Western Australia Quagering Island
Millstream Chichester National Park
Millstream Chichester National Park is a national park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is located 1,190 kilometres north of the state capital, Perth. The park is made up of the old Millstream Station, on the Millstream Creek, just before it joins Fortescue River, one of the few permanent watercourses in the area and the Chichester Range; the area is homeland of the Yinjibarndi people. Millstream Creek was named by the explorer Francis Thomas Gregory in 1861, he reported the favourable grazing prospects. The first pastoral lease was taken up on 1865. By 1907 the property occupied an area of 1,000 square miles, it was stocked with 20,500 sheep, 1,900 cattle and 150 horses and was passed in at auction at £26,000. The present Millstream Homestead was built in 1920; the homestead was a tavern between 1975 and 1986. In 1970, the Chichester Range National Park was set aside and named. In 1975, the Conservation through Reserves Committee made recommendations for reserves in the Pilbara region, subsequently, the Millstream region was integrated into the park in 1982.
The Yindjibarndi people work as contractors in the Park. The Millstream Homestead Visitor Centre is in the old Homestead, which feature rooms dedicated to the Yinjibarndi people, the early settlers and the natural environment. Other displays provide information about the park's attractions and management challenges; the Pilbara is located within the arid tropics. During summer, between October and April, temperatures rise above 40 degrees and cyclones and local thunderstorms can flood roads and watercourses; the cool season, between May and August, experiences little rain, with daytime temperatures around 26 degrees. Nights at this time of year can be cool, so warm clothes may be necessary. Camping is available at Stargazers campgrounds. Miliyanha toilets and is generator friendly, it has some shade in afternoon. Stargazers is a more open site and generators are not permitted. A gas BBQ and toilets are provided. Both campgrounds are suitable for tent camping up to large caravans and motorhomes, can be accessed by 2WD in good weather, road conditions should be checked before embarking in 2WD, for information concerning road conditions contact The Shire of Ashburton.
Snake Creek Campground has been closed to campers since 2011, Crossing Pool has been closed to campers since 2013 due to safety issues concerning a drop in water levels and tree death. The Millstream Chichester area is significant Indigenous cultural site in northern Australia, its cultural and mythological importance stems from thousands of years occupation, with Millstream being the home of the mythical serpent or warlu, whose presence is still felt at Nhanggangunha. All the pools are significant in this regard and warrant a high level of respect because of their spiritual and mythological importance; the broad area of land straddling the Fortescue River from the Hamersley Range through to the Chichester escarpment is the homeland of the Yindjibarndi people. Ngarluma people's lands run from the Chichester escarpment northward to the sea. Aside from its important spiritual significance, Millstream was an important campsite for intertribal meetings; the Fortescue River provided food and water during drier months.
Along the river, Indigenous people had a varied diet of red meat, reptiles, eggs, honey fruits and root vegetables. Extensive areas were burnt to attract kangaroos; the dry climate meant. The Indigenous people were skilled in land management and were nomadic within their traditional boundaries. Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma people continue to come to the park to spend time on country and to carry out customery activities, they are represented on the Jirndawurrunhs Park Council which, in association with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, manages the strategic direction of the park. Protected areas of Western Australia Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation
Lesueur National Park
Lesueur National Park is a national park straddling the boundary between the Wheatbelt and Mid West regions of Western Australia, 211 km north of Perth. The park was gazetted in 1992, it includes two mesas known as Mount Lesueur and Mount Michaud, supports a diverse flora. Lesueur National Park lies in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion, characterised by scrubby heath with a high number of plants from the family Proteaceae. Vegetation in the park is structurally complex, with patches of woodland amongst shrublands. There are over 900 indigenous plant species in the park. Rare or threatened species include the Mount Lesueur Grevillea, Forrest's Wattle, the Lesueur Hakea and the Laterite Mallee; the park is the northern limit for Jarrah and Mountain Marri, both of which grow as mallees instead of the more usual tall tree form. Lesueur National Park is under threat from the effects of Phytophthora dieback, a disease which kills plants and is spread through movement of infected soil or water. Protected areas of Western Australia "National Heritage Places - Lesueur National Park".
Department of the Environment and Energy. Australian Government. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017. Desmond, Anthony. "A Biodiversity Audit of Western Australia's 53 Biogeographical Subregions in 2002: Geraldton Sandplain 3". Department of Environment and Conservation. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2009
Greenmount National Park
Greenmount National Park is a national park in the locality of Greenmount, Western Australia, 22 km east of Perth. It is one of the smaller National Parks along the Darling Scarp and is a component of the Darling Range Regional Park. Due to its proximity to John Forrest National Park, which used to be known as Greenmount National Park until 1928, relationship to subsequent reserves to the south it is a vital scarp wildlife corridor. Bus tours were available from Perth in 1933 with Hill's Bus Tours offering passengers a tour around the park on Sundays in September. Beam Transport Ltd. offered a similar service through the Park to Mundaring Weir in 1937. As a feature adjacent to the Helena River Valley it has significance in aboriginal folklore, featured early on in early European settler's diaries. Mountain Quarry, Western Australia is one of several blue stone quarries located within the park, popular with rock climbers and walkers. Vehicle access to the quarry site is restricted however a car-park and picnic facilities including toilets are within walking distance of the main site, accessible on foot.
There are several panels containing historical information about the site spread around as part of the popular Railway Reserves Heritage Trail which runs close to the quarry. The Boya/Koongamia leg of the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail known as the "Bridle Trail", curves around the south-western edge of the park, crossing through the Mountain Quarry car-park and picnic area. In the early 2000s significant bushfire damage occurred on the southern slopes of this park. Large fire-breaks dissect the park serving as popular walking routes among locals; the western and northern slopes, visible from Great Eastern Highway have extensive Watsonia infestations. In late 2005, the Government Authority in charge of the national park was taking steps to prevent vehicular access along the top of the ridge to the lookout due to non stop vandalism and issues with residents adjacent to the park; the park is situated along the side of Greenmount Hill and has majestic views over the Swan Coastal Plain below and Perth City below.
The dominant vegetation in the park is eucalypts such as Marri and Wandoo along with an array of wild flowers and heathland along the northern slopes. The hill contain several breakaways and rocky outcrops. Protected areas of Western Australia Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management. A recreational development plan for-- Kalamunda National Park, Lesmurdie Falls National Park, Gooseberry Hill National Park, Greenmount National Park Como, W. A.: Conservation and Land Management, 1989
Cape Arid National Park
Cape Arid National Park is an Australian national park located in Western Australia, 731 kilometres southeast of Perth. The park is situated 120 kilometres east of Esperance and lies on shore from the eastern end of the Recherche Archipelago; the bay at its eastern side is Israelite Bay, a locality mentioned in Bureau of Meteorology weather reports as a geographical marker. The western end is known as Duke of Orleans Bay, its coastline is defined by Cape Arid, a bay called Sandy Bight and, further east, Cape Pasley. The first European to discover the area was the French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux in 1792 and he named it Cap Aride. Pioneer graziers arrived in the area in the 1870s and the ruins of homesteads and buildings as well as gravesites can be found near Pine Hill and Thomas Fishery. Bay whaling was conducted by Thomas Sherratt at Barrier Anchorage in the 1870s. John Thomas seems to have had a bay whaling operation in the 1860s at Thomas's Fishery; the area is composed of sandy beaches and rocky headlands to the south with low granite hills extending to the north to join the jagged Russell Range, composed of pre-cambrian quartzite.
The highest point of the park is Tower Peak, located within the Range, which reaches a height of 594 metres. The eastern boundary of the park joins the western side of Nuytsland Nature Reserve. Sand-plains that are rich in flora surround the hill areas. A wide variety of habitat exists within the park which supports a wide variety of fauna; the park is an important site for the bird life in Western Australia. It is home to over 160 species of birds including some that are restricted; some of the birds found in the park include: the western ground parrot, the Australasian bittern, Carnaby's cockatoo and Cape Barren geese. Fauna that can be found include the western brush wallaby, the southern bush rat, many small marsupial predators and a variety of reptiles and amphibians. A rare and primitive species of ant of the genus Nothomyrmecia is thought to inhabit the area. Vegetation found within the park is on young dune systems that have large communities of coastal heath with smaller systems of yate, banksia and mallee.
Species of orchid and ferns exist near Mount Ragged including a small population of the sticky-tail flower. Many walk trails can be found in the park, including the Len Otte Nature Trail, Tagon Coastal Trail, Boolenup Walk Trail and walks up both Mount Ragged and Mount Arid; the most accessible campsite is at Thomas River with conventional drive access, barbecues and water tanks. Other campsites at Mount Ragged, Poison Creek and Deal Creek are only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles. Protected areas of Western Australia
Media related to Ludlow State Forest, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons
