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Girringun National Park is a
This large
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
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
, establishe ...
, 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 Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
. The park is one of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area 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 ...
.
History
The park was originally named the Lumholtz National Park, after scientistCarl 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 ...
, 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 a ...
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
This large national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
consists mainly of wet sclerophyll forests, but small pockets of rainforest also exist along the eastern slopes and hilltops.
The Seaview, George 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 un ...
debris from a volcanic eruption 100,000 years ago. Perhaps the most well known geological feature in this park is the Wallaman Falls. At it is the largest single-drop falls in Australia. The park forms part of the Wooroonooran Important Bird Area, 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 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
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