Mount Banda Banda, a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

of the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoo ...

region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia, is situated from Sydney within the Willi Willi National Park. Banda Banda can be seen on the north western horizon from

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea c ...

. And seen on the south western horizon 39 km from the town of Kempsey. At it is the highest mountain in the region.

Flora

The stands of Antarctic beech are some of the finest in existence, and the mountain was included in 1986 on the United Nations

World Heritage List 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 ...

New South Wales Rainforests - The Nomination for the World Heritage List, Paul Adam, 1987. as part of

Gondwana Rainforests of Australia The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world. Collectively, the rainforests are a World Heritage Site with fifty separate res ...

. Interesting eucalyptus plants occurring on the mountain include the

Blue Mountains ash ''Eucalyptus oreades'', commonly known as the Blue Mountains ash, white ash or smooth-barked mountain ash, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is native to eastern Australia. It has smooth, powdery whitish bark with rough bark near the ...

and '' Eucalyptus scias subsp. apoda''. The

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

shrub '' Zieria lasiocaulis'' only occurs at Willi Willi National Park.Willi Willi National Park Draft Plan of Management
/ref> Another endangered plant on Mount Banda Banda is Grevillea guthrieana. The summit of the mountain is remarkably flat, and covered in grasses and the Blue Mountains ash. The isolated occurrence of the Blue Mountains ash is noteworthy, as it is most often seen in the Blue Mountains district, some 300 kilometres to the south west.

Cool temperate rainforest

The main tree species in the rainforest is the Antarctic beech. Associated species include prickly ash,

coachwood ''Ceratopetalum apetalum'', the coachwood, scented satinwood or tarwood, is a medium-sized hardwood tree, straight-growing with smooth, fragrant, greyish bark. It is native to eastern Australia in the central and northern coastal rainforests of ...

sassafras ''Sassafras'' is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.Wolfe, Jack A. & Wehr, Wesley C. 1987. The sassafras is an ornamental tree. "Middle ...

, soft corkwood and

yellow carabeen ''Sloanea woollsii'', commonly known as yellow carabeen, is a large tree species with plank buttresses that is native to northeastern NSW and eastern Queensland, Australia. Its southern distributional limit is near the town of Bulahdelah (32� ...

Walking stick palm ''Linospadix monostachyos'' known as the walking stick palm is a small palm growing in rainforest understorey in Queensland and New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of N ...

s are seen in the understorey, though usually not associated with such cooler rainforests.

Orange berry ''Drymophila moorei'', the orange berry, occurs naturally from the Manning River in northern New South Wales to Queensland. The habit is as a herb, occurring at the rainforest floor, usually at high altitudes. Easily identified when in fruit. ' ...

is a common ground cover. Despite the impressive 40-metre canopy, the soil is only moderately fertile, being derived from porphyry.(other publication details, included in citation)
/ref> Rainfall on Mount Banda Banda is 2 metres per year, a very high amount for the otherwise arid

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

continent.

Arboretum

In 1964, the New South Wales Forestry Commission planted various exotic conifers amidst the cool

temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American ...

at Banda Banda. Arboretum species include the

monkey puzzle tree ''Araucaria araucana'' (commonly called the monkey puzzle tree, monkey tail tree, piñonero, pewen or Chilean pine) is an evergreen tree growing to a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) and a height of 30–40 m (100–130 ft). ...

Cunninghamia ''Cunninghamia'' is a genus of one or two living species of evergreen coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae. They are native to China, northern Vietnam and Laos, and perhaps also Cambodia. They may reach in height. In vernacular ...

Cryptomeria ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' ...

, Douglas fir,

radiata pine ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico ( Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the ...

Ponderosa Pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

and the Sierra redwood. The possibility of the spread of exotic seedlings into the natural rainforest is of concern.

Fauna

Rare fauna inhabiting Mount Banda Banda include the Hastings River mouse,

Parma wallaby The parma wallaby (''Notamacropus parma'') is a small, hopping, kangaroo-like mammal native to forests of southeastern Australia. About the size of a stout cat, it lives in dense shrub and is only active at night to feed on grasses and small plan ...

, sphagnum frog,

Booroolong frog The Booroolong frog (''Litoria booroolongensis'') is a species of stream-dwelling frog native to the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales, Australia. It is a member of the Hylidae, or the "tree frog" family. The Booroolong frog is classifie ...

giant barred frog The giant barred frog (''Mixophyes iteratus'') is a species of barred frog found in Australia. It occurs from south-eastern Queensland to just south of the Newcastle region in New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wale ...

, stuttering barred frog, the tree dwelling snail, the olive whistler, and the rufous scrub-bird, which was described by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

as being of "universally outstanding significance to science and conservation". The reptile and invertebrate fauna of the mountain are not yet comprehensively understood. However, as this Gondwana rainforest is in good condition, future surveys should provide a valuable picture of the local ecology.

Gallery

Image:Nothofagus moorei tall Bandabanda.JPG , Antarctic beech, at Mount Banda Banda Image:Yellow Carabeen & Antarctic Beech Banda Banda.jpg, Yellow carabeen (left) and Antarctic beech (right) at Mount Banda Banda Image:Nothofagus moorei log Bandabanda.JPG , Antarctic beech at Mount Banda Banda Image:Eucalyptus scias subsp apoda Mount Banda Banda.jpg, ''Eucalyptus scias subsp. apoda'' at Mount Banda Banda Image:Eucalyptus oreades Bandabanda.jpg , Blue Mountains ash near the summit of Mount Banda Banda Image:Mount Banda Banda summit grasses.jpg, grassy area at 1250 metres above sea level Image:Mount Bandabanda - nameplate.jpg , Nameplate at the summit of Mount Banda Banda, elevation 1258 metres Image:Caldcluvia paniculosa corky bark.JPG, Soft corkwood at Mount Banda Banda Image:Polyosma cunninghamii at Mount Banda Banda.jpg, Featherwood at Mount Banda Banda Image:Understorey plant at Mount Banda Banda.jpg,

Drymophila moorei ''Drymophila moorei'', the orange berry, occurs naturally from the Manning River in northern New South Wales to Queensland. The habit is as a herb, occurring at the rainforest floor, usually at high altitudes. Easily identified when in fruit. ...

, an understorey plant at Mount Banda Banda Image:Anopterus macleayanus - Banda Banda.jpg, Anopterus growing under tall cool temperate rainforest at Mount Banda Banda Image:Mount Banda Banda seen from Number 1 fire tower.jpg, Mount Banda Banda seen from Bellangry Number One Fire Tower

Flora

Cool temperate rainforest

Arboretum

Fauna

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading