Girringun National Park is a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia, approximately southwest of
Ingham, north of
Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
and northwest of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
. The park is one of the
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km2 of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range. The Wet Tropics of Queensland meets all f ...
series of national parks, and is a gazetted
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
History
The park was originally named the Lumholtz National Park, after scientist
Carl Sofus Lumholtz
Carl Sofus Lumholtz (23 April 1851 – 5 May 1922) was a Norwegian explorer and ethnographer, best known for his meticulous field research and ethnographic publications on indigenous cultures of Australia and Mexico.
Biography
Born in Fåberg, N ...
, when it was created in 1994. The
Blencoe Falls
The Blencoe Falls is a segmented waterfall on the Blencoe Creek, located in Kirrama, Tablelands Region, in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Location and features
The falls are situated in the Girringun National Park approximately north of ...
Section was gazetted as part of Lumholtz National Park in 2000. The name was subsequently changed to Girringun in 2003. On National Parks Day 2010 (28 March) the Government of Queensland announced the addition of to the park.
Environment
![A223, Girringun National Park, Australia, Wallaman Falls, 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/A223%2C_Girringun_National_Park%2C_Australia%2C_Wallaman_Falls%2C_2007.JPG)
This large
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
consists mainly of
wet sclerophyll forests, but small pockets of rainforest also exist along the eastern slopes and hilltops.
The
Seaview,
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
and
Cardwell ranges dominate the landscape, which is strewn with
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
debris from a volcanic eruption 100,000 years ago. Perhaps the most well known geological feature in this park is the
Wallaman Falls
The Wallaman Falls, a cascade and horsetail waterfall on the Stony Creek, is located in the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Wet Tropics in the locality of Wallaman, Shire of Hinchinbrook in the northern region of Queensland, Australia. The wat ...
. At it is the largest single-drop falls in Australia. The park forms part of the
Wooroonooran Important Bird Area
The Wooroonooran Important Bird Area comprises some 5125 km2 of mainly forested land in the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site, of Far North Queensland, Australia.
Description
The site encompasses the largest block of tropical r ...
, identified as such by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because it supports populations of a range of bird species endemic to
Queensland's Wet Tropics.
[BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Wooroonooran. Downloaded from on 2011-12-02.]
Access and infrastructure
Vehicle access into the forest include the Dalrymple Gap Track, or the
Wallaman Falls
The Wallaman Falls, a cascade and horsetail waterfall on the Stony Creek, is located in the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Wet Tropics in the locality of Wallaman, Shire of Hinchinbrook in the northern region of Queensland, Australia. The wat ...
track. However, for most of the park there is only very rudimentary or absent vehicle access. Most of the park is accessible for hikers, but due to its remoteness and rugged terrain only experienced bushwalkers should undertake extensive hikes.
See also
*
Herbert River Falls
The Herbert River Falls is a plunge waterfall on the Herbert River that is located in the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Wet Tropics in the Far North region of Queensland, Australia.
Location and features
The falls are located on the northern b ...
*
Protected areas of Queensland
Queensland is the second largest state in Australia. It contains around 500 separate protected areas. In 2020, it was estimated a total of 14.2 million hectares or 8.25% of Queensland's landmass was protected.
List of terrestrial protected are ...
References
{{National Parks of Queensland
National parks of Far North Queensland
Protected areas established in 1994
Wet Tropics of Queensland
1994 establishments in Australia
Important Bird Areas of Queensland