Parks and reserves of Australia. National parks of Australia Lakes National Park Australia
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kakadu National Park is 157 km away. east of Darwin, the capital of the state in which the Park is located. This city itself is of interest to tourists. It will surprise you with its ancient and eventful history. Several times the city was subjected to military attacks and natural disasters, due to which it was practically wiped off the face of the Earth, but was invariably revived again.
The park got its name in honor of the Kakadu tribe, who live on its territory to this day. This is Australia's largest park - its area is 19,000 square meters. km. The natural border of the park is formidable, steep cliffs, 400 to 500 meters high.
They, like a jewelry setting of a precious stone, border the park, protecting it from storms. Kakadu Park is a unique archaeological, natural and ethnological reserve. If you visit this magical corner of the earth, then, in addition to the opportunity to admire the beauty of Australia's wild nature, you will get a unique chance to touch the ancient imprints of the creativity of the first people. The area contains two of the most famous Aboriginal rock art caves.
The examples preserved here are considered the best in Australia and among the best in the world. The first traces of intelligent life found in this part of Australia indicate that it appeared here more than 50,000 years ago. Aboriginal rock paintings and writings, archaeological and paleontological excavations throw some light on the mysterious and enigmatic life of local inhabitants of different times - from hunter-gatherers of prehistoric times to modern people.
The age of the most ancient rock paintings that have survived reaches 18,000 years. A distinctive and unusual feature of the Aboriginal rock paintings of Kakadu National Park is the so-called “X-ray” style. Local residents, apparently driven by an indefatigable thirst for knowledge, were not content with knowing only the outer shell of things, they went further, which was reflected in their creativity.
Their drawings convey not only the external appearance of people and animals, but also their internal organs. You could easily view and explore all the rock paintings, writings and other traces of ancient man in the Park. It is even possible, if you are especially attentive and lucky, you will be lucky enough to find some new trace left by our distant ancestors many centuries ago. It is truly an exciting experience to learn something new from long-left traces of human life.
This place is so unique that it was placed on the World Heritage List in 1981. Kakadu National Park and the Great Coral Reef are the first two Australian territories to be included on this List.
Nature and animals Kakadu National park
Kakadu National Park spreads over 200 km. from north to south and 100 km. from east to west. Thanks to the unique structure of the earth's crust in this area, the chemical and biological composition of the soil, and the extensive water network covering the park, the local flora and fauna are so diverse that they simply cannot leave you indifferent. More than 1,700 plant species have been registered in the Park, and undoubtedly this list can be replenished with several dozen new species.
The fauna is represented by 280 species of birds, 117 species of reptiles, 77 species of freshwater fish, 1000 species of insects and 60 species of mammals. This richness is the result of the Park's geology, landforms and diversity of habitats - from shady swamps and dense forests to fast-flowing rivers and open sunny glades.
From this list of living creatures, you can easily find in the park such representatives of wildlife as the frilled lizard, crocodile, tree frog, octopus, scorpion, locusts of unusual bright red and yellow colors, monitor lizard, buffalo, wild boar, kangaroo and many many others.
Two large rivers flow through the Park - Noarlanga Creek and Majela Creek. Both freshwater crocodiles, safe for humans, and sea crocodiles, which instill fear and horror in all inhabitants and visitors of the park, and the legendary fish of Australia - barramundi, swim in them. This is one of the lungfishes.
In the south of the Park at Woolwonga Wetlands, a vast wetland teems with an abundance of wading and waterfowl. Also in the vicinity of the Swamps you can observe a large number of insects and reptiles. Another attraction of the Park that you should visit is the cascade of Twin Falls, which is a truly breathtaking sight.
The diversity of croaking and singing frogs everywhere is the pride of the Park. There are about 22 species of these reptiles here. Among such cold-blooded inhabitants of the Park are the bullfrog, marbled frog, green tree frog, frog-like toad, etc.
Despite the fact that the forests of Kakadu National Park look as if no human has ever set foot on them, this is not true. According to legend, the “first people” appeared in Kakadu back in the “time of dreams” or during the creation of the world, when our ancestors emerged from the bowels of the earth, who, having wandered around the world, plunged into the rocks, leaving only their imprints on the surface. The natives are confident that their ancestors still live in the southern part of the Park, called the “land of disease,” and therefore warn tourists to tread carefully and not awaken the sleeping gods.
Having visited Kakadu National Park, you will see that Australia is truly one of the most mysterious continents of our planet.
Purnululu National Park
Purnululu National Park is a national park in the Australian state of Western Australia. Founded in 1987. In 2003 it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Translated from one of the Australian Aboriginal languages, “Purnululu” means “sandstone”
The national park covers an area of 239,723 hectares in the north-eastern part of Western Australia on the Kimberley Plateau. The area of the park's reserve fund (Purnululu Conservation Reserve) is 79,602 hectares
The nearest settlement, the city of Kununarra, is approximately 300 km to the north.
The relief in the park is extremely diverse and is represented by 4 main ecosystems: the Bungle Bungle Range, area - about 45 thousand hectares, which is a highly dissected area (plateau) with numerous formations formed from Devonian sandstone; the vast sandy plains surrounding Bungle Bungle; the grassy plain of the Ord River, located in the eastern and southern parts of the park; limestone cliffs in the west and east of the national park
The main attraction of the park is the mountain formations of the Bungle Bungle Range, which, as a result of erosion over 20 million years, have formed cones resembling the shape of beehives. These formations have a banded structure: bright orange sandstone alternates with dark stripes, reaching a width of several meters and a thickness of several millimeters. All of them are formed from blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, which are closest to the oldest microorganisms on Earth
Bright orange stripes of sandstone, unlike dark stripes, have low permeability during the rainy season and protect the formations from accelerated erosion. In addition, they contain iron and manganese oxides, which give these stripes a brighter orange hue.
Karst formations on the territory of the national park are of great scientific importance, as they are a clear demonstration of the process of formation of cone-shaped karst formations from sandstone (a phenomenon still little studied by geomorphologists).
The national park is located in the zone between the arid desert climate of Central Australia and the monsoon savannah climate of Northern Australia. The year has two distinct seasons: a hot and humid summer, which lasts from November to March (the average maximum temperature in October is about 38.3 °C), and a long, dry winter from April to October (average maximum temperature in July reaches 29.1 °C)
The average annual precipitation in the region fluctuates around 600 mm
The flora and fauna of Purnululu National Park has a number of its own characteristics. Species belonging to two different ecosystems grow and live here: northern tropical savannas and continental arid deserts.
Vegetation is dominated by open woodlands and spinifex meadows, with numerous eucalyptus, acacia and grevillea.
In addition, there are ferns, orchids, and palm trees. In general, 653 species of plants have been registered in the park, 13 of which are relicts. The fauna of the region is represented by 41 species of mammals, 149 species of birds, 81 species of reptiles, 12 species of frogs and 15 species of fish.
For a very long time, the territory of the modern national park was little studied by Europeans, although for the indigenous inhabitants of Australia, the Australian aborigines, it had important economic and cultural significance (about 200 rock paintings and burials were discovered in the park).
Largely due to the low interest of the European colonialists, the extermination of the indigenous people, who were represented by two groups of Australian aborigine tribes, was avoided. Although, in general, the aborigines subsequently suffered greatly from introduced diseases, firearms and ecosystem destruction. The first cattle breeders appeared in this area only in 1884
And the mountain formations of the Bungle Bungle ridge, which resemble beehives in shape, were discovered by the white population of Australia only in 1982, when a plane carrying a group of film directors flew over them
Blue Mountains National Park
Australia's Blue Mountains National Park is part of a vast mountain system stretching along the entire east and southeast coast of the continent.
This is the most picturesque part of the Great Dividing Range, although, in principle, there are almost no mountains in the Blue Mountains National Park, just a few beautiful plateaus and cliffs, and most of the park is occupied by deep green valleys with rivers and lakes
Due to its inaccessibility to humans, Blue Mountains National Park is home to countless rare plant species that are millions of years old (such as the Wollemi pine, which has been growing here since the time of the dinosaurs), and there are many corresponding species of animals.
The sandstone plateau with a total area of 1.03 million hectares is dissected by cliffs and gorges and covered with eucalyptus forests. The monument includes 8 protected areas and provides a visual representation of the evolutionary development of eucalyptus trees in Australia in the period after separation from the ancient continent of Gondwana. There are 91 species of eucalyptus in the Blue Mountains.
The world of Australian flora is widely represented here, ten percent of which are vascular plants, as well as many endangered species, including endemics and relicts, such as the rare Wollemi pine, preserved only in inaccessible corners
Reserve.Photos
Blue Mountains National Park is home to nearly 400 species, including the rare tiger koala, yellow-tailed flying squirrel and long-nosed kangaroo mouse, as well as the green and golden tree frog and the unique water lizard.
Also, 13% of all eucalyptus species on the planet grow here, so the Blue Mountains National Park can be called a real natural laboratory for the study of eucalyptus)
Where did this name come from? It turns out that the whole point is in those same eucalyptus groves, the oil vapors of which in hot weather make the air more bluish due to a change in the angle of refraction of the sun's rays
The elevation of the Blue Mountains National Park varies from 20 meters above sea level at the lowest point (Nepean River) to 1215 meters at the highest (Mount Werong)
The national park was formed in 1959, today covers an area of about 270 thousand hectares, and is one of the most popular places among tourists - there are even night excursions here
The Blue Mountains National Park is part of the so-called Blue Mountains Territory, which covers a total of 10,300 km2. Compared to the size of countries, this is about a third of Belgium or two of Brunei! This territory is home to seven national parks, including the Jenolan Caves, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai national parks, Kenengra-Boyd Park, Stone Gardens, Thirlmere Lakes and, in fact, the Blue Mountains themselves.
The area of the Victoria Desert is 424 thousand square meters. km. From the south it is adjacent to the territory of the Mallabor Plain. This harsh area got its name in honor of the famous British Queen Victoria. Ernest Giles became the “Godfather” of the desert. It was he who was the first of the inhabitants of the old world to cross this harsh land for humans.
There are no other deserts of equal size in Australia. Due to the arid climate, agricultural activities are impossible here. The average annual precipitation is 200-250 mm. Sometimes there are thunderstorms. In summer, daytime temperatures are 32-40 degrees, in winter - 18-23 degrees. There is no snow here.
this is a piece of pristine, untouched nature of an amazing continent next to the major business and economic center of the country, a huge reserve of unique animals and plants, each of which deserves a separate book.
A huge national park covering more than a million hectares with tall eucalyptus trees, fern thickets, swamps, waterfalls, cliffs and caves. This huge amazing park is deservedly included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Great Barrier Reef, located off the eastern coast of Australia, is truly the most stunning underwater kingdom on Earth. The sunniest state of Australia - Queensland - has this unique reserve.
Melbourne - the capital of Victoria - holds under its wing Gumbuya Park (Gumbuya), which the park workers themselves position as a children's natural playground. It would seem that you won’t surprise us with amusement parks, every more or less large city has them, why is this one special?
Firstly, the history of the park is noteworthy - originally it was a pheasant farm, for this reason, by the way, the entrance to the park is decorated with a large figure of a multi-colored pheasant, so it is impossible to drive past without noticing the park. In 1978, Ron Rado renovated it as a zoo with a picnic area.
Taking a look at the map of Australia, we will see that many rivers are shown as dotted lines. This betrays their ephemeral nature. Most of them are fully functional only after heavy rains. But in the northeast there are rivers comparable to the largest in the world. All of them are part of the single Murray-Darling system.
Stretching along the southeastern coast, the Great Dividing Range forms two types of rivers. Those flowing to the east flow into the sea. Those that gather in the western part form the Murray-Darling system. At the sources of the rivers on the eastern slope there are cold, stormy waters, like the mountain streams of the Alps. The river system of the western part is peculiar, typically Australian. The rivers here are wide, slow, and silted. Fluctuations in water levels are extremely sharp.
Travel Western Australia: Lesueur National Park – Mount Lesueur
Location: Lesueur National Park, Western Australia
Hiking route: Climbing Mount Lesueur, 4 km, easy
We continue the story of our journey by car through the expanses of Western Australia.
The main purpose of the trip this time is Ningaloo Reef, but besides it, we were successfully able to squeeze into the program a lot of other interesting, educational and beautiful things that exist on the azure west coast of Kangaroo Country.
So, the second day of our trip, we wake up in a caravan park in Jurien Bay- a resort town Australia's Coral Coast.
After a soulful walk along Jurien Bay and Seaspray Beach, which is next to the caravan park where we spent the night, we moved on.
Our path lay in Lesueur National Park.
This national park is located in close proximity to Jurien Bay, that’s what we needed today.
There we planned to go on a hiking trail and climb the mountain of the same name – Mount Lesueur.
This is what will be discussed in this note.
To begin with, the numerous national parks, protected areas and forests (if low-growing native bush can be described as such) located north of Perth are known for their lush and vibrant blooming of wild Australian vegetation in the spring.
Moreover, the variety of shades, shapes and sizes of the local flowering fauna is simply amazing!
At least at the beginning of November we didn’t get to see this very riot of colors in Lesueur Park, but like any other national park in Australia, it has its own special unique twist that is definitely worthy of attention.
Lesueur National Park got its name in honor of Charles-Alexandre Lesueur. Charles Alexandre Lesueur accompanied the same Nicolas Bodin in 1801 on his expedition to measure the coast of Australia.
Together with Francois Peron, he took part in a natural science expedition. Together they documented more than 100,000 zoological species, making a significant contribution to the study of Australian fauna and bringing success to the Boden expedition. (Wikipedia)
Since that expedition, many places here on the West Coast have been named in honor of one or another of its participants, for example, directly in Lesueur National Park itself:
Mount Mt Peron (expedition naturalist Francois Peron),
Mount Mt Lesueur and the park itself (Charles-Alexandre Lesueur);
Mount Mt Michaud (botanist-horticulturist Michaud).
Lesueur National Park contains a huge wealth of local flora and fauna.
It has more than 900 species of plants, 50 species of reptiles (the park is proud of a wide variety of lizards), 120 species of birds.
The wetlands of LeSueur Park are believed to be one of the last remaining habitats of Carnaby's Black cockatoo.
In Lesueur Park something is blooming all year round; the peak of flowering occurs in the spring months of September and October.
You can get acquainted with the natural attractions of the Lesueur National Park in different ways:
- This is a car ride through the territory of the national park with the opportunity to stop here and there to admire the delights of the local flora. The length of the road is 17 km and the traffic there is one-way.
– walking routes with observation platforms.
There are three main walking tracks in the park, these are:
A) Iain Wilson Lookout, from the parking lot to it a couple of hundred meters along an asphalt path;
In the photo below: See the grille with the brush?
Before you set out on the hiking trail and then on the way back, you need to thoroughly clean your shoes (by the way, a common practice in Australia and New Zealand).
The fact is that the vegetation of the Lesueur National Park is under the threat of an epidemic of Phytophthora dieback (too lazy to look for an exact translation, something a la late blight), and this “sore” is transmitted with soil stuck to shoes. Hence this necessary procedure.
b) climbing the low mountain Mt Lesueur, “back and forth” sa. 4 km;
V) hiking Gairdner Ridge.
There is a fee to enter Lesueur National Park - $12 per car.
Payment is made independently at the entrance to the park at the information board.
You need to fill out the envelope, keep the torn receipt for yourself, and put the envelope in a special box.
But before we “set foot” on the expanses of this national park, we were first “greeted” along the way by the local fauna in the person of a plump, well-fed lizard unknown to us.
She, like all suicidal animals in Australia, sedately and without any haste at all, went about her business across the road.
It was not difficult to notice her from afar from the car, it was a terrible shame to crush the belly, we managed to brake in time and park on the side of the road.
This lizard was wildly surprised by the attention shown to it and froze dead in the middle of the asphalt road heated by the hot sun.
And no matter how much we walked around her, no matter how much we stomped our feet and “shoo-shoo-kali”, trying to persuade her to go home to a safe place, the lizard found all our efforts deeply violet and in general she even began to be terribly indignant that we disrupted her household affairs.
She opened her mouth wide, jumped slightly and even hissed. It’s both funny and slightly creepy, who knows – she’s poisonous or not...
Fortunately, the road to Lesueur National Park is not congested with traffic, there were few cars here, but still people drove. I had to wave my hands from the side of the road to one hitchhiker so that she had time to slow down and go around this unlucky lizard.
The car stopped, the elderly couple didn’t need the lizard for nothing, she was much more curious to stare at us fools. Based on our accent, they immediately enrolled us in a group of traveling tourists, chatted with us very friendly, explaining that they have millions of these fat lizards and, they say, tourists often mistake this particular species for baby crocodiles. In general, everyone laughed heartily.
We managed to shoo-shoot this hissing beast to the side of the road, where it quietly crawled away into the bush, swearing at the top of its lungs. Satisfied that we saved someone's life, we moved on.
IN Lesueur National Park In addition to the 17 km trip, we also climbed Mt Lesueur, walking along the path back and forth for 4 km.
The walking track itself is absolutely simple; no special physical effort is required when climbing there - just a pleasant walk.
But it was terribly hot and the entire “trip” was accompanied by a hundred million annoying flies.
And the heat and flies here in Western Australia were so tiresome that, as a result, during this journey along Australia's Coral Coast we were forced to give up our favorite hobby (hiking) and devote all our time to other entertainment.
For those interested, here is the brochure in English. language with information about Lesueur Park (pdf file, 654 MB):
After Lesueur National Park, our path lay along the Indian Ocean Drive to small coastal towns Dongara & Port Denison.
But that’s another story; our journey through Western Australia will be continued.
Bye bye. Your restless travelers Nata and Tyoma
Photos from our trips and travels are here:
Hello readers! In this article I would like to touch upon the topic of Australian national parks. Personally, I am very interested in this continent and its nature, so let’s talk in more detail about its careful protection...
Australia, about 180 million years ago, was part of Gondwana, or rather the southern tip of Pangea, an ancient continent. Australia, over time, broke away from Gondwana and set off on a long journey to the east.
As a result, Australia became home to all kinds of marsupials.
Human factor.
The ancestors of modern Aborigines inhabited Australia for about 40 thousand years. back. The ancient “immigrants” adapted to new conditions and lived in complete harmony with the environment, worshiping the natural elements and the earth.
But in 1788, Europeans arrived on the continent and energetically began to “conquer” the newly discovered world. They believed that the continent's nature was so rich that it would not be lost if they began to cut down the forests to the roots to clear the land for pastures.
Already in the early 1820s, alarming voices were heard about the rapid depletion of the country. And in 1866, the first protected area was taken under protection.
Under the onslaught of man, the world of living nature retreated. And today, vast areas of dry steppes that hold back the advance of the desert are gradually turning into the same due to erosion and overgrazing.
In 1879, the Royal National Park was opened on the east coast south of Sydney - the second in the world after American Yellowstone.
The area of this mountainous area is 72.8 km 2, which is distinguished by a fabulous wealth of flora - from heather-covered sandstone hills to tropical forests in deep canyons.
Extinct species.
Over the past two centuries, many animals and plants were irretrievably lost, even though people realized it quite early.
In 1990, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), which was created in 1948 to publish and collect data on endangered species and reserves, about 456,540 km 2 (about 5.9%) of Australia.
295,750 km 2 of them are nature reserves where logging and mining are prohibited.
This territory includes both scientific reserves closed to the public and national parks with wide access for tourists, provided they respect nature. Another 160,790 km 2 of land are under partial protection.
Reserved country.
There were 782 nature reserves in Australia in 1990 (and in 1900 there were only 4). Eight of these reserves are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Kakadu National Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Reserve.
The longest chain of islands and coral reefs in the world (almost 2000 km) is the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches along the east coast of Queensland.
Many species of plants and animals live there. The territory of the national park, whose total area is about 350 thousand km 2, includes almost all reefs.
Today, the exploitation of natural reef resources is strictly limited. In order to protect this entire fabulously beautiful but vulnerable ecosystem, a categorical ban on offshore drilling and oil production was introduced.
Kakadu National Park has not only natural but also cultural significance. Its area is 6670 km 2. This park, which is located 220 km south of Darwin, is the most famous of the Northern Territory's parks.
Kakadu Park features a wide range of natural areas - from salt lakes and mangrove swamps on the coast to bushland, eucalyptus forests and heathland with islands of tropical jungle.
About 50 species of mammals, 75 species of reptiles, 270 species of birds and a great variety of fish live here.
About 5,000 drawings on the walls and rocks of caves and 120 prehistoric sites were discovered in the park. In these parts, at the end of the 19th century, Europeans also managed to manage, bringing water buffalos from Asia and exterminating crocodiles.
Fortunately, this thoughtless destruction was stopped in time.
In 1979, Kakadu National Park was formed, and in 1985-1987. – has been significantly expanded.
Approximately half of the park belongs to the local Gaduju tribe, who believe that this territory is sacred.
In order to receive income from tourism, the Aborigines leased their lands to the directorate of the Australian National Parks and Nature Reserves Service, but in matters of park management, the final say still belongs to the Aborigines.
There are mineral deposits in Kakadu Park. These include uranium, but their development is opposed by many environmentalists and there is only one active uranium mine.
Stones, caves, flowers.
Australia is a large and relatively sparsely populated country. Australia's population is concentrated in cities.
Local authorities take care of the preservation of the rich natural heritage, including areas with picturesque terrain, places inhabited by rare species of animals and plants, as well as objects of historical and cultural significance.
Today, many of them have been converted into national parks, but in addition to them, Australia also has a large number of nature reserves, local parks and reserves.
Uluru National Park (which means "big rock" in the Aboriginal language) is home to Ayers Rock, a famous sandstone monolith that is another World Heritage Site.
In 1985, the Australian Government transferred the ownership of this park to the Aboriginal people - its original owners, who, following the example of the indigenous people of Kakadu National Park, leased it to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years.
Tanami Desert is one of the largest natural reserves, with an area of 35 thousand km 2, located northwest of Alice Springs.
And the pride of this untouched corner of the Australian desert is its rare collection of desert birds, marsupials and other animals that are found nowhere else in the world.
Queensland has more national parks than any other Australian state; there are more than a hundred protected coastal islands alone.
On the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range is Carnavaron National Park, which is famous for its caves with Aboriginal rock art and picturesque mountain landscapes.
The Wet Tropics of Queensland Nature Reserve is located in the north-east of the state and is another natural World Heritage Site.
Diversity of ecosystems.
The most diverse ecosystems are represented in the reserves and national parks of New South Wales - from the mountain landscape in the spurs of the Great Dividing Range to the rainforests of New England Park.
Kosciuszko Peak - the highest peak in Australia, located in the Kosciuszko National Park, whose area is 5439 km 2. The rare dwarf cuscus also lives here.
Grampian National Park is located in the south-west of Victoria. This park is known for its rich wildlife, including the famous platypus, and wild flowers.
And such inhabitants as koalas, wombats and emus have created fame for Wilson Promontory National Park, which is located on the south-east coast, in a mountainous area.
South and West.
Unique natural areas are carefully protected in the national parks of southern Australia. Some of the most famous of these include Lake Eyre National Park, Flinders Ranges Mountain Reserve and Simpson Desert Nature Reserve.
The coastal Coorong National Park, south of Adelaide, has a completely different look and is famous for its salty lagoon among the sand dunes. It is one of 28 wetland reserves of global importance established under the Ramsar Convention of 1971.
Western Australia's first national park. John Forrest, near Perth, is famous for its eucalyptus forests and is very good for hiking.
Also, a number of areas of islands, sea coast and desert, where there is almost no human habitation, have been taken under protection.
Shark Bay Nature Reserve, located 680 km north of Perth, is recognized as a natural World Heritage Site.
Tasmania.
The heritage of the vast island of Tasmania is very small. Thanks to this, about 30% of the island's area is allocated to national parks. The world-class Wilderness Nature Reserve is one of them.
It is located on the western coast of the island, and its area is 7700 km 2. All types of local landscapes are widely represented in this reserve - wild rivers, mountains, tropical and eucalyptus forests.
The conclusion is this: we people often treat nature poorly and through this careless attitude it suffers greatly, and we along with it. A striking example of this is the colonization of Australia by Europeans (as I wrote at the beginning of this article). Let's try not to do this ourselves and teach our children to take care of nature.
The nature of Australia fascinates even experienced travelers. The national parks and reserves of this country deserve special attention. If you're planning to visit Australia, be sure to check out Kakadu, Lichfield, Lamington, Cleland Animal Park and Currumbin Game Reserve.
To make your trip exciting and well-planned, you can buy an excursion package to Australia from the Australian Travel Club. Our specialists will help you plan your route in such a way that you can get to know the main attractions and not lose sight of anything important.
Kakadu National Park
This place in the northern part of Australia, near Darwin, is unique from a natural, archaeographic and ethnographic point of view. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Steep cliffs create a unique natural landscape, and the rich flora and fauna amaze with their diversity.
About half of the park belongs to Aboriginal tribes who have lived here for several millennia. Recently, their way of life has undergone major changes, but the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors still occupy an important part of their culture.
On the excursion, tourists will be able to get acquainted with the unique nature and wildlife of this place, as well as visit the places where ancient tribes lived, and see with their own eyes the objects of their culture and life.
Litchfield National Park
Lichfield is located in northern Australia, near the town of Bethchelor. Travelers will be surprised by the unique vegetation of this place: banksias, grevilleas, terminalias and other exotic plants can be seen in the forests.
Lichfield's fauna is also of interest. Here you can meet flying possums, marsupial martens, and wallabies. Among the birds you can see the Pacific cuckoo-coel, oriole, leaflet and many others.
A tour of Litchfield must pass through Wangi Falls - the largest and one of the most picturesque waterfalls.
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It flows into a lake, a swim in which, according to local superstitions, means recharging the body with health and longevity. In addition to Vanga Falls, you should definitely visit the Tolmer Falls and Florence Falls waterfalls.
Lamington National Park
The park is located on the border of the states of Queensland and New South Wales. The uniqueness of this place is in the unusual combination of jungle, heathland and mountain passes. If you want to enjoy truly extraordinary natural views, then you should definitely go here.
Thousand-year-old beeches and 80-meter eucalyptus trees grow in the park; very rare specimens include bull, blood and stinging trees. Curious tourists will enjoy an excursion to the foot of the now extinct Tweed Volcano.
The fauna will also delight travelers with its diversity. In addition to flying foxes, platypuses and possums, here you can find unique endangered species of animals - coxena, birdwing butterfly, lyrebird, etc.
Cleland Animal Park
A few kilometers from Adelaide there is a park where you can not only admire the Australian inhabitants, but also pet and even feed the animals. A trip to this park will definitely give you unforgettable impressions and emotions. At the entrance to Cleland, vacationers are offered park maps and bags of food for animals for a few dollars.
In Cleland you will meet koalas, Tasmanian devils, wombats, wild dingoes, and various species of birds. The park's terrarium is home to the most poisonous snakes in the world. The park is also amazing for its stunning natural views.
Currumbin Nature Reserve
The park is located in the city of Gold Coast. This place is famous for the fact that here you can see wild lorikeets - small rainbow-colored birds of the parrot family.
Another feature of the reserve is that on its territory there is a veterinary clinic and a hospital for the treatment of wild animals.
You can admire the local flora and fauna not only during the day, but also after sunset, when nocturnal animals begin to become active. Especially for this purpose, night excursions are held in the park.
Excursion tours for every taste
Australian Travel Club offers group and individual tours that will introduce you to the most unusual places in Australia. A visit to national parks can be combined with a trip to famous city attractions. You can find a suitable tour here: we offer the most popular and exciting routes.
At your request, additional excursions can be included in the standard tour, which will allow you to get to know such an extraordinary country as Australia in more detail.
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National parks of Australia , nature reserves, game reserves and conservation areas are an integral part of modern Australia. Understanding the seriousness of protecting Australia's fragile nature provides strong reasons for taking strong environmental measures and laws. National parks are well-visited tourist sites that contain many attractions, with many different hiking trails of varying difficulty. A lot of time has passed since the first people appeared on the Australian continent. Over the entire period of human economic activity, the pristine nature of the Green Continent has been inexorably subjected to changes to suit various economic needs. And quite often such actions were thoughtless and mismanagement, leading to disastrous consequences for the already fragile nature. Particularly devastating consequences began after the arrival of the first Europeans. Which, in addition to their mismanagement of that time, also brought with them domestic animals and various house plants. Imported predators such as cats and dogs simply destroyed defenseless local inhabitants. On the Australian continent, before the advent of man and his pets, there were practically no large and agile predators like cats and dogs. But not only cats and dogs caused damage to the nature of Australia, but also domestic agricultural plants and animals, which the local flora and fauna could not compete with, also caused damage. But in the 19th century the situation began to change. International and local government laws and regulations have been passed calling for and mandating the conservation and restoration of Australia's flora and fauna. Thanks to these actions, environmental protection zones, wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves and national parks began to be created and continue to be created. The creation and equipping of national parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries with modern technology and scientific equipment, as well as constant scientific research, has made it possible to improve understanding of the surrounding nature. Which began to have a positive impact on the restoration of the fragile ancient nature of Australia. Currently, a large number of protected natural areas have been created on the Australian continent. This is over 60 million hectares (ha) which is approximately 7.55% of the Australian territory. Also, in addition to national parks on the mainland, there are other national parks located in the external territories of Australia. These are Norfolk Island (650 ha), Christmas Island (8952 ha), Pulu Keeling (2602 ha), Heard and McDonald Islands (1,138,260 ha) and the Australian Antarctic Territory (1,153,610 ha). All of these protected areas of national parks include a total of more than 60.4 million.
National parks and reserves in Australia
ha (7.85%), Australia. Of these, 145 are marine protected areas, covering almost 38 million hectares. In addition, protected areas include a large number of nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and simply park areas of local importance. There are 11 World Heritage Sites in Australia, covering almost 42.6 million hectares. Also, in addition to protected natural areas, a large number of parks and recreation areas have been created that are open for permanent visits and recreation.
Australian Parks
Australia
Nature
National parks and reserves
In the Kakadu Park (included in the UNESCO World Heritage List) in the territory of unique natural landscapes, a wonderful collection of wild animals, flora and representatives of the bird life of the mainland has been collected, in the Northern Territory Wildlife Park, along with other representatives of the Australian fauna, You can get acquainted with the legendary Australian giant fish "barramandi".
In the vicinity of Darwin there are beautiful Litchfield and Katherine Gorge parks.
Alice Springs is the starting point of many routes to Ayers Rock - the Uluru rock massif is a gigantic rock “table” rising 348 m above the perfectly flat surface of the surrounding desert and formed in the Archean era (this is one of the oldest areas of crust on the planet ).
For the Australian Aborigines, this chameleon-changing mountain has remained a sacred place for thousands of years. According to the Chukurpa (Law of Creation), the entire area of Uluru was created by ancestral beings, the descendants of which are the Anangu tribe, who leased Mount Uluru to the Australian government for use as a national park. The duty of the "anangu" is to monitor the land of their ancestors, to prevent it from being physically and spiritually polluted, so the aborigines are against tourists climbing to the top of Uluru and many visitors now respect their sincere beliefs and refuse trekking. Instead, trails have been laid around the equally picturesque base of the cliff, which pass through caves and sacred “primordial” areas.
32 km. to the west of Uluru lies the Kata Tjuta massif (or Mount Olgas) - an equally impressive and in fact much higher monolith than Uluru, as well as the Valley of the Winds - an equally beautiful place for a “pilgrimage”.
National parks of Australia
Nearby lies the tiny town of Yulara, the center of the world-famous Ayers-Rock Resort, surrounded by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. In addition to several modern hotels, of interest here is the Yulara Information Center with an excellent exhibition on the geology, history and nature of the region, as well as a unique exhibition of magnificent photographs. The Aboriginal Cultural Center also houses a very interesting exhibition about Aboriginal culture and art.
The breathtaking gorges along the Fitzroy River, Wolf Creek Meteor Crater, Gibb River Road and Bunge National Parks are very popular. In the middle of the sandy desert, 260 km. North of Perth, in Nambang National Park, is one of the country's main attractions - entire fields of petrified remains of an ancient forest - "Pinnacles".