Wooroonooran National Park
Encyclopedia
Wooroonooran is a national park in Queensland
(Australia
), 1367 km northwest of Brisbane
, between Innisfail
and Cairns.
The park is one of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
series of national parks, and is a gazetted World Heritage site
. Declared in 1988, the World Heritage area stretches from Townsville in the south to Cooktown in the north, and contains some of the oldest surviving rainforests in the world.
The national park covers most of Bellenden Ker Range
and includes Queensland's two highest mountains, Mount Bartle Frere
(1622 m) and Mount Bellenden Ker
(1592 m). Walsh's Pyramid
at 922 m in height, is located just south of Gordonvale and is one of the highest free-standing natural pyramids in the world. It also includes the parts of Australia that on average receive the most rainfall each year.
The park has two sections: the Palmerston and the Josephine sections. Both the North and South branches of the Johnstone River
flow through the Palmerston section.
visitor area was developed and opened to the public in the 1970s. The water in Josephine Creek originates from the slopes of Mount Bartle Frere and flows into the Russell River
. A 600 m walking track leads through rainforest to recently constructed platforms which allow safe viewing of the falls. Several people have been injured and killed in the falls as the granite rocks are extremely slippery so access to the top pool beyond the platforms is prohibited. Living around the falls area is the endemic Bartle Frere skink.
Thirty kilometers west of the Bruce Highway
along the Palmerston Highway
, tracks lead to Tchupala Falls
and Wallicher Falls. The Tchupala Falls track is approximately 600 meters and the track to Wallicher Falls is approximately 800 meters. Both falls are part of Henrietta Creek.
Nandroya Falls may be accessed from a walking track originating at Henrietta Creek Campground. The walk is 2.2 km by the shortest route. At Nandroya Falls, the Douglas Creek drops in a narrow, uninterrupted, 50 meter fall from a basalt parapet. There is also a second shorter and wider tumble. Silver Creek Falls is also visible from the track.
Whites Falls
are found on Behana Creek, above Clamshell Falls
.
.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), 1367 km northwest of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, between Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
and Cairns.
The park is one of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
Wet Tropics of Queensland
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, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
series of national parks, and is a gazetted World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Declared in 1988, the World Heritage area stretches from Townsville in the south to Cooktown in the north, and contains some of the oldest surviving rainforests in the world.
The national park covers most of Bellenden Ker Range
Bellenden Ker Range
The Belleden Ker Range, also known as the Wooroonooran Range is a coastal mountain range in Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range it is located between Gordonvale and Babinda....
and includes Queensland's two highest mountains, Mount Bartle Frere
Mount Bartle Frere
Mount Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland at an elevation of 1622 metres. The mountain was named after Sir Henry Bartle Frere, a British colonial administrator and then president of the Royal Geographical Society by George Elphinstone Dalrymple in 1873. Bartle Frere was British...
(1622 m) and Mount Bellenden Ker
Mount Bellenden Ker
Mount Bellenden Ker is the second highest mountain in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the botanist John Bellenden Ker Gawler. Located 60 km south of Cairns near Babinda, it is adjacent to Mount Bartle Frere, the state's highest peak, part of the Bellenden Ker Range which is also...
(1592 m). Walsh's Pyramid
Walsh's Pyramid
Walshs Pyramid is an independent peak with a distinct pyramid appearance, 20 km south of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Scene of an annual footrace, held on the third Saturday in August, to its summit...
at 922 m in height, is located just south of Gordonvale and is one of the highest free-standing natural pyramids in the world. It also includes the parts of Australia that on average receive the most rainfall each year.
The park has two sections: the Palmerston and the Josephine sections. Both the North and South branches of the Johnstone River
Johnstone River
The Johnstone River is a river in North Queensland, Australia. The river has two main branches called the North Johnstone River and the South Johnstone River. The town of Innisfail is the largest settlement in the catchment and is built on the banks of the lower Johnstone River where the two...
flow through the Palmerston section.
Waterfalls
The Josephine FallsJosephine Falls
Josephine Falls are located at the foot of the southern face of Mount Bartle Frere in the Wooroonooran National Park, in Queensland, Australia. The falls are a popular recreation site among locals as the water flows over a large rock to form a natural waterslide.Josephine Falls are located on...
visitor area was developed and opened to the public in the 1970s. The water in Josephine Creek originates from the slopes of Mount Bartle Frere and flows into the Russell River
Russell River
The Russell River is a short river that passes east of the town of Babinda in Far North Queensland, Australia. The river rises near the highest mountain in Queensland, Mount Bartle Frere, part of the Frances Range in the Wooroonooran National Park...
. A 600 m walking track leads through rainforest to recently constructed platforms which allow safe viewing of the falls. Several people have been injured and killed in the falls as the granite rocks are extremely slippery so access to the top pool beyond the platforms is prohibited. Living around the falls area is the endemic Bartle Frere skink.
Thirty kilometers west of the Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
along the Palmerston Highway
Palmerston Highway
The Palmerston Highway , serves as a link between the southern limit of the Atherton Tablelands and the Far North Queensland coastal strip, in Australia. Starting just north of Innisfail, from the Bruce Highway it winds through the Wooroonooran National Park, past the township of Millaa Millaa and...
, tracks lead to Tchupala Falls
Tchupala Falls
Tchupala Falls are located in the Palmerston Section of Wooroonooran National Park, North Queensland, Australia, about 20 km west of Innisfail, along the Palmerston Highway. While the walking trail to Tchupala Falls is only about 600 metres, the track in this section totals about 11...
and Wallicher Falls. The Tchupala Falls track is approximately 600 meters and the track to Wallicher Falls is approximately 800 meters. Both falls are part of Henrietta Creek.
Nandroya Falls may be accessed from a walking track originating at Henrietta Creek Campground. The walk is 2.2 km by the shortest route. At Nandroya Falls, the Douglas Creek drops in a narrow, uninterrupted, 50 meter fall from a basalt parapet. There is also a second shorter and wider tumble. Silver Creek Falls is also visible from the track.
Whites Falls
Whites Falls
Whites Falls are found on Behana Creek, above Clamshell Falls, in the Wooroonooran National Park, in Queensland, Australia....
are found on Behana Creek, above Clamshell Falls
Clamshell Falls
Clamshell Falls are found on Behana Creek, below Whites Falls, in the Wooroonooran National Park, in Queensland, Australia....
.
Flora
Rainforests in the park contain more than 500 different tree species. The high-altitude areas contain Australia's only native species of rhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
.
Facilities
Camping is permitted in a campground along Henrietta Creek. Bush camping is allowed along the Mount Bartle Frere Trail but no facilities are provided. Permits are required.See also
- Protected areas of Queensland