Main Range National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Main Range National Park | |
---|---|
IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
Nearest town/city: | Warwick |
Coordinates: | |
Area: | 184.0 km² |
Managing authorities: | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service |
Official site: | Main Range National Park |
Main Range is a mountain range and a national park in Queensland (Australia), 85 km southwest of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage site Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves. It protects the western part of a semi-circle of mountains in South East Queensland known as the Scenic Rim. The park extends from Mount Mistake south to Wilson's Peak on the New South Wales border and includes Mount Superbus, South East Queensland’s highest peak.
The most predominant vegetation types on the range is sub-tropical rainforest and dry sclerophyll forest (Rankin 18). The park’s forests and montane heath provide habitat for many animals, including the eastern bristlebird, Coxen’s fig parrot and black-breasted button-quail, all of which are threatened by extinction. Spicer's Gap is believed to be a traditional pathway for Indigenous Australians travelling between the inland and the coast.
In 1828, Allan Cunningham 'officially' discovered the route through the mountains now called Cunningham's Gap, however it can be easily seen from Brisbane. Stockman Henry Alphen discovered Spicer's Gap in 1847. The Spicer's Gap Road, used to carry supplies to and from the Darling Downs, is the best remaining example of sophisticated 19th century engineering in Queensland.
Bare Rock, Mount Cordeaux, Cunningham's Gap, Mount Mitchell, Spicer's Gap, Spicers Peak, Mount Huntley, Mount Asplenium, Mount Steamer, The Steamer Range, Lizard Point, Mount Roberts, Mount Superbus and Queen Mary Falls all lie within the Main Range National Park.
There are many walking tracks, camping areas and picnic facilities at a number of places such as Spicers Gap, Cunningham's Gap and Queen Mary Falls.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Rankin, Robert. (1992) Secrets of the Scenic Rim. Rankin Publishers ISBN 0-95924-183-3