The Royal National Park is Australia's oldest nature reserve. Nature reserves of Australia What national park is in Australia

Australia is full of a variety of national parks and reserves, all very different from each other! I propose to briefly go through the most amazing of them.

Let's start with the greener parks in Australia and gradually move on to the most deserted ones. So, first on our list is Kakadu National Park - a real green oasis, surrounded on all sides by cliffs.


Kakadu Park's most famous scenery is the spectacular view of Jim Jim Falls.


Similar in vegetation and scenery, but more varied, is the Blue Mountains National Park, part of the Great Dividing Range.


The park is home to many rare animals and thousands of relict plants.


No less beautiful landscapes can be observed in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park adjacent to the Blue Mountains.


The park is known primarily for its amazing rocks.


Another beautiful part of the Blue Mountains Territory is Woollemy National Park.


It was here that a species of pine was found that has lived on the planet for more than 30 million years and a cave with more than 200 ancient rock paintings!



This is one of the few Australian parks with its own helipad and tower for extinguishing fires, which are common in this area.



The most interesting place in the park is the Natural Bridge, a real miracle among green trees.


The small Walpole-Nornalup Park is essentially different.


The highlight of the park is that the main and most interesting route literally runs through the treetops...


Another beautiful, but not so popular place for active recreation is Nattai National Park.


The main feature of this park is the picturesque sandstone cliffs.

Much less greenery can be found in Purnululu National Park, which consists mostly of amazing cone-shaped mountains.


The most famous part of the park is the Bungle Bungle Mountain Range.



There are also some very unusual rock formations here.


Another amazing National Park is located in the heart of Australia - this

The description of Australia's attractions is impressive. Mountains, cliffs, gorges, deserts, amazing shores and bays - the shortest listThe names of Australian landmarks can take up a hundred pages. Most of them are parks and reserves.What attractions in Australia are not related to nature? Here is a short list of them:

Sydney Opera House. This is the most recognizable symbol, if not of the whole of Australia, then of Sydney for sure. The Opera House has much more in common with ships than with ordinary, earthly buildings.

Harbor Bridge was opened in 1932, March 19. The bridge connects Sydney's central business district with the North Shore, crossing Port Jackson Bay.



Sydney Aquarium- one of the largest in the world. It is incredibly diverse, and one cannot help but be delighted by visiting it: even a simple walk along the route of the aquarium without stopping at the exhibits takes up to 3.5 hours - this structure is so large!

That's probably all. You will probably be surprised. Of course, every city in the country can boast of certain attractions. Check out Canberra or Canberra. There are plenty of museums and galleries here. But the main object of pilgrimage in the country remains natural parks, thesemain attractions of Australia. There are hundreds and hundreds of them here. We have compiled for you a fairly extensive list of the most interesting places.


National parks of Australia:

Blue Mountains National Park, N.S.W.. This is the most picturesque part of the Great Dividing Range. Most of the park is occupied by deep green valleys with rivers and lakes. Several observation platforms offer views of the famous Three Sisters rocks, Echo Gorge, and the Great Australian Canyon. In the town In Katoomba, next to the park, you can ride along the world's steepest railway or over the cliffs in an aerial cable car. The Jenolan limestone grottoes are nearby.

Flinders Ranges National Park is surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Flinders Ranges. The route to the park starts at Adelaide on the Main Northern Highway, which cuts through the wine region that extends widely around Clare. While traveling, pay attention to historical cities, Laura, Melrose and Mintaro. Local provincial town Quorn is notable for its ancient railway. A rare train runs from the city center to the Pichi Richi Pass.

Kosciuszko National Park- the largest in the state of New South Wales. This part of the Australian Alps was named after the mountain of the same name, which is the highest peak in Australia. There are huge lakes of glacial origin with calm water. The largest rivers in the region originate in the park: the Snowy River, the Murray and the Murrumbidgee.


Purnululu National Park in the north-eastern part of Western Australia, on the Kimberley Plateau. In the language of the Kiya Aboriginal tribe, “purnululu” means “sandstone”. Sometimes the park is called Bungle Bungle after the name of the mountain range of the same name, which is entirely part of the park. The mountains here took on the shape of beehives as a result of erosion processes that lasted 20 million years.

Uluru - Kata Tjuta , With Cala Ayers Rock , Northern Territories. Mount Olga is a massif with a height of 1069 m versus 348 m of Mount Uluru, but is less popular for pilgrimage. Geologists say that Uluru and Olga are not separate hills, but part of a single mountain range that lies beneath the earth and breaks out in only two places.

Reptile Center located within Ayers Rock Park. There are many species of reptiles that are protected in the park.


Kakadu National Park , Northern Territories. There are amazing plants, many species of birds, fish and animals here. Among them you can find a tree frog, an octopus, a kangaroo, a buffalo, a monitor lizard, and a huge barramundi fish. A walk along the Alligator River is an opportunity for the most daring travelers to see freshwater crocodiles. You'll find cascading waterfalls, the large Ranger uranium mine, and towering cliffs. See rock paintings of ancient tribes. About half of the park is owned by Aboriginal tribes of the Northern Territory, and the Park Authority leases this land to manage the national park. The aborigines, about 5 thousand of them, are descendants of tribes that have lived here since ancient times.

Great Sands National Park , O Fraser Island, Queensland. Most of the island, which contains approximately 1,645 km² of intact tropical rainforest, is part of Great Sandy National Park.

Cradle Mountain National Park - Lake St. Clair . This is sa Tasmania's most beautiful and famous national park, located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania 165 km north-west of Hobart. The rugged contours of Cradle Mountain, ancient rainforests and alpine meadows, picturesque beaches and untouched wildlife are the riches of the park.


Port Campbell National Park ,12 Apostles Rocks, Victoria. This park is located on the Great Ocean Road. It is located in the southern part of the state, 190 km southwest of Melbourne, stretched in a relatively narrow strip along the ocean. The Twelve Apostles Rocks, London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge are an example of many years of natural erosion.

Daintree National Park Eka Mossman , Queensland. A unique tropical forest grows here, preserving its original appearance. The forest is over 110 million years old, making it the oldest forest on our planet. The heart of the park is the Daintree River, which rises in the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and flows into the Coral Sea.

Koala Sanctuary , New South Wales, four hectares of land on which koalas, dingoes, echidnas, cockatoos, wombats and kangaroos move freely.


Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park offers to enjoy wonderful views of the sea coast and river valley, where it is located. The shy lyrebird bird lives here.

An integral part of Australia's capital and a popular destination for tourists wanting to see the diversity of the continent's flora. The garden is located on the slopes of the Black Mountains on an area of ​​40 hectares and features 6,800 species of flowers from all over Australia.

Healesville Preserve, Victoria, is one of the country's premier wildlife parks, where more than 200 species of Australian birds, mammals and reptiles can be seen in their natural habitats.

Grampian Mountains , a national park in Victoria, forms the southern tip of the Great Dividing Range. These are dense tropical forests, mountain peaks and waterfalls. The park is famous for its views, rich in flora and fauna, and Aboriginal rock art. Of the thousand plant species, about 100 species are orchids, of which 20 species are endemic.


Great Barrier River f, Queensland, the world's largest reef, one of Australia's most striking natural attractions. The reef is teeming with life, showcasing the diversity of the underwater world, and consists of 3,000 individual reef systems, coral caves and hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with beaches.

Cape Tribulation . This unique location brings together two World Heritage-listed national parks, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. This is one of the few places in Australia where the rainforest runs straight down to the sea.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary , located in the middle of nature in the village Kuranda , offers to see 2000 species of butterflies.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary -home for Australian wildlife animals. Kangaroos, possums, Tasmanian devils, wombats, emus and lyrebirds live here. And his main pride is about 130 koalas. Here you can see animals and birds without cages or visit inside cages with them, get as close as the animal allows.


Lamington National Park -the kingdom of the subtropical jungle. It is a forest with vines, palm trees and ancient ferns. From the Oreilis plateau, almost a kilometer above sea level, a beautiful panorama of mountains and valleys opens up.

Currumbin Nature Reserve -27 hectares of beautiful landscapes next to Currumbin Beach. In one of the largest Australian parks you can feed kangaroos, parrots, and there is a snake show.

Rottnest Island , Western Australia -a nature reserve off the coast of Perth, an ecologically clean area where driving cars is prohibited. Ancient cypress and tea tree forests have been preserved here, as well as unique small short-tailed kangaroos, the Quoccas, which were mistaken for rats by the Dutch discoverers, who named the island Rottnest, which means “rat’s nest.”

A region of Western Australia located in the north of the state. The area of ​​Kimberley is 3 times larger than the area of ​​the whole of Great Britain. This is a land of stark contrasts. There are the gorgeous beaches of Cable Beach in Brooma to the west and rugged red ridges and gorges to the east. The Kimberley contains some of the world's most ancient landscapes, millions of years old.


Geikie Gorge National Park . The gorge, more than 14 km long, was formed by the waters of the Fitzroy River, which for many years made its way through the ancient coastal limestone barrier reef.

Vindhana Gorge National Park . East of town Derby is home to the Vindyana Gorge, which stretches for 3.5 km, formed by the Lennard River in the thickness of a limestone reef aged 350 million years. The river bed is filled with water only in the summer season, from November to May.

Northern Territory Wildlife Park invites you to plunge into the world of wildlife and enjoy all the diversity of tropical Australia. Particular attention in the park is paid to the restoration of local animal species that are on the verge of extinction.

Litchfield National Park-one of the most beautiful parks in the Northern Territory. The park is located 140 km south of Darwin. The park is famous for its rain forests, natural ponds, picturesque cascading waterfalls, the most famous of which are Wangi, Tolmer and Florence.


Nitmiluk National Park is home to the Jawoin people. Over millions of years, rains have carved 13 separate gorges of incredible beauty from sandstone. Not only can you take a boat ride and swim in the gorge river, but you can also walk along scenic trails to Seventeen Miley Crystal Falls, Katta Katta Caves and Mataranka Hot Springs. The park has the beautiful Katherine Gorge.

Arnhem Land is located in the northeast of the Northern Territory and borders the Kakadu National Park, the Coburg Peninsula and the Arafura Sea. The huge space of the park is occupied by tropical savannas, wild sea beaches, deserted islands, rivers teeming with fish, lush tropical forests, and huge snow-white dunes. These lands belong to the Aboriginal people, so you can only get here with a special permit or with a tourist group.

West MacDonnell National Park This is a picturesque nature reserve west of Alice Springs. The parallel MacDonnell Ranges are among the oldest mountains on the planet. Gorges of extraordinary beauty are home to many endemic species of plants and animals. Simpson Gap is located 20 km from Alice Springs. Part of the Western MacDonnell Ranges is a sacred Aboriginal gorge and rainwater lake.

An island off the southeast coast of Australia, separated from the mainland by Bass Strait. Tasmania is named after the navigator Abel Tasman, who discovered the island. This is the smallest state in the country. There are mountains and hills, valleys with historical cities, plateaus, volcanoes, tropical forests, hundreds of lakes and snow-white beaches.


The height is 1270 m. The top of the mountain is often snow-covered in almost all seasons except summer. The mountain offers stunning views of Hobart and its surrounding areas, including Bruny Island, the Huony Derwent Valley, and the national park areas to the west of Hobart.

South East National Park -Tasmania's largest national park. It is a land of majestic mountains, dense forests and green plains. A convict settlement was founded on Sarah Island in Macquarie Bay in 1821.

Franklin Gordon National Park with wild, fast-flowing rivers, majestic mountain peaks, and dense forests, they are located in the center of the Tasmanian region, listed as a nature reserve of world significance.

Lake Saint Clare National Park. This part of the nature reserve contains Mount Cradle, Tasmania's highest mountain Ossa, Lake St Clare, Australia's deepest freshwater lake.


Port Arthur -a former convict settlement, the largest in Australia, which housed more than 12,500 convicts from 1830 to 1877. There are regular boat trips to the Isle of the Dead, where more than 2,000 people are buried. Port Arthur is located on the Tasmanian Peninsula, famous for its extraordinary rock formations: the Tasmanian Arch and the Devil's Kitchen.

Tasmanian Devil Park is located near Port Arthur and the small town of Tarana. Every morning at 11, Tasmanian devils are fed here. Here you can also see typical Tasmanian animals up close, such as wombats, marsupial martens, etc. The park is also a refuge for all injured animals.

Mount Field National Park is one of Tasmania's oldest national parks near Hobart. Trails through eucalyptus and ferns lead to the picturesque Russell Falls.

Cataract National Park - one of the best parks in Tasmania. There is a canal chairlift and a suspension bridge

The breathtaking gorges along the Fitzroy River, Wolf Creek Meteor Crater, Gibb River Road and Bunge National Parks are very popular. In the middle of the sandy desert, 260 km. north of Perth, in the Nambang National Park, is one of the main attractions of the country - entire fields of the petrified remains of an ancient forest - "Pinnacles".

In the Kakadu Park (included in the UNESCO World Heritage List) in the territory of unique natural landscapes, a wonderful collection of wild animals, flora and representatives of the bird life of the mainland has been collected, in the Northern Territory Wildlife Park, along with other representatives of the Australian fauna, You can get acquainted with the legendary Australian giant fish "barramandi". In the vicinity of Darwin there are beautiful Litchfield and Katherine Gorge parks.

Alice Springs is the starting point of many routes to Ayers Rock - the Uluru rock massif is a gigantic rock “table” rising 348 m above the perfectly flat surface of the surrounding desert and formed in the Archean era (this is one of the most ancient areas of crust on the planet ). For the Australian Aborigines, this chameleon-changing mountain has remained a sacred place for thousands of years. According to the Chukurpa (Law of Creation), the entire area of ​​Uluru was created by ancestral beings, the descendants of which are the Anangu tribe, who leased Mount Uluru to the Australian government for use as a national park. The duty of the "anangu" is to monitor the land of their ancestors, to prevent it from being physically and spiritually polluted, so the aborigines are against tourists climbing to the top of Uluru and many visitors now respect their sincere beliefs and refuse trekking. Instead, trails have been laid around the equally picturesque base of the cliff, which pass through caves and sacred “primordial” areas. 32 km. to the west of Uluru lies the Kata Tjuta massif (or Mount Olgas) - a no less impressive and in fact much higher monolith than Uluru, as well as the Valley of the Winds - an equally wonderful place for a “pilgrimage”. Nearby lies the tiny town of Yulara - the center of the world famous Ayers-Rock Resort, surrounded by the Uluru-Kata Tzhuta National Park. In addition to several modern hotels, of interest here is the Yulara Information Center with an excellent exhibition on the geology, history and nature of the region, as well as a unique exhibition of magnificent photographs. The Aboriginal Cultural Center also houses a very interesting exhibition about Aboriginal culture and art.

Australia is the most environmentally friendly continent in the world. Five percent of its territory is reserved for various nature reserves and other natural attractions. Currently, eleven Australian national parks are listed by the United Nations as Places of Exceptional Importance to Humanity. Therefore, we will consider the best, most beautiful, most famous National Parks of Australia.

– Gog and Magog Rocks, Port Campbell NP, Victoria, Australia

Top 10 Australia

Best National Parks

Australia is perhaps the only continent on Earth where people have learned to live in harmony with nature, building beautiful cities equipped with all the benefits of civilization, but at the same time not forgetting about nature conservation.

Australia is full of a variety of national parks and reserves, all very different from each other! The best natural parks in Australia are located in different climatic zones, so you can see both glaciers and deserts without leaving the country.

In Australia, more than 500 national parks have been created with a total area of ​​28 million hectares, which is about 4% of the country's territory. Another six percent of the territory is protected by other protected areas. According to Australian Geographics, the national network of protected areas includes 9,300 different sites, representing 13% of the country's territory, and also provides information on 71.9 million km² of protected areas and plans to increase this number by 25 million in 2013.

National parks are primarily managed by state and territory agencies in Australia. So far, only six national parks are managed by the federal agency Parks Australia: Booderie, Christmas Island National Park, Kakadu, Norfolk Island National Park, North Keeling, Uluru - Kata Tayuta.

And now about the best, most beautiful National Parks in Australia. As a basis, I took the list of the best National Parks in Australia according to the Australian Geographic magazine.

– 1 – Blue Mountains National Park (Blue Mountains NP)

– Sunrise in the Valley, view from Queen Elizabeth Lookout, Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales

Shrouded in a fairy haze Blue Mountains From a distance they look like an old painting, the author of which was carried away by blue tones. The blueweed is actually the vapor of eucalyptus oils exuded by lush trees. This charming area, spread over an area of ​​over a million hectares, is included in the honorable list of UNESCO sites. It is so densely covered with forest that the world's oldest tree, the Wollemi pine, was simply not noticed until 1994. The colorful area is replete with fascinating routes, among which every traveler can easily choose the most suitable one.

Blue Mountains National Park– one of the most picturesque and therefore unforgettable places in the world! It is part of a vast mountain system stretching along the entire eastern and southeastern coast of the continent. This is the most picturesque part of the Great Dividing Range, although, in principle, there are almost no mountains in the Blue Mountains National Park, just a few beautiful plateaus and cliffs, and most of the park is occupied by deep green valleys with rivers and lakes. Height Blue Mountains National Park varies from 20 meters above sea level at the lowest point (Nepean River) to 1215 meters at the highest (Mount Werong).

The park was formed in 1959, today it covers an area of ​​about 270 thousand hectares, and is one of the most popular places among tourists - there are even night excursions here. Hiking trails pass through deep canyons with sheer sandstone walls, through forests, among wildly overgrown eucalyptus trees and tree ferns. There are several viewing platforms within the park, offering breathtaking views of the valleys below, the famous Three Sisters rocks (giant rock formations from Aboriginal legends), Echo Gorge, and the Great Australian Canyon. In Katoomba you can ride along the world's steepest railway or over the cliffs in a cable car. The Jenolan Caves are nearby. These are the most famous limestone grottoes in Australia. One of the nine caves contains an abundance of magically illuminated limestone stalactites and stalagmites.

– 2 – Flinders Ranges National Park (Flinders Ranges NP)

– Bunyeroo Valley from the Razorback viewpoint

One of the most stunning national parks on the Green Continent is surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Flinders Ranges. Local landscapes captivate with their color - mysterious gorges, ancient folded mountains, arched trees and huge stones, casting different shades in the light of the sun.

Mountains of the Flinders Ranges- a rare case for Australia, when large cities are mercilessly attacked by a scorched desert. The most scenic route to the National Park begins in Adelaide on the Main Northern Highway, which cuts through the impressive wine region that stretches widely around Clare. As you travel, check out the golden fields of wheat and a number of historic towns - Laura, Melrose and Mintaro. Once you reach Wellington, head towards Quorn, which is within easy reach of Flinders Ranger. The provincial town of Quorn is notable for its interesting fate. Fans of vintage trains come here from March to November for retro walks along the steel track. A rare train, which has gone through a long journey of restoration, runs from the city center to the pass Pichi-richi

– View of the northern ridge of Wilpena Pound from Hucks Lookout. In the foreground is a grass tree (Grass Tree) or “dragon heather” (in Russian literature - serpentine or dracophyllum)

The main pride of the National Park is the stunning valley - a huge amphitheater formed by nature itself. Steep cliffs of purple slate and red quartzite became its reliable walls. Like an ancient lost world, Wilpena Pound continues to live according to its own laws: inside the amazing tract there is more rainfall than in all the surrounding areas, and the local panoramas are truly fantastic. The ubiquitous kingdom of herbs is complemented by slender cypresses, red eucalyptus and casuarinas. The local fauna is beautiful. It consists of wallabies, red kangaroos, emus, echidnas and hundreds of species of birds, the polyphonic chirping of which spreads throughout the park. Pink cockatoos and bright rosellas fly up every now and then, creating a characteristic noise. There is plenty of entertainment on the territory of the colossal monastery - sightseeing flights over the valley, romantic walks through the forest, intricate mountain bike trails, camel riding or observing space objects from the Arkaroula Observatory.

– 3 – Kosciuszko National Park

– Seaman’s Hut, Mount Kosciusko NP, New South Wales

Kosciuszko National Park- the largest in the state of New South Wales. The park is part of the Australian Alps and was named after the mountain of the same name, which is the highest peak in Australia and is located within the park.

In 2008, Kosciuszko National Park, along with other protected areas of the Australian Alps, was included in the Australian National Heritage List. Kosciuszko National Park is one of Australia's most famous national parks, visited by approximately three million tourists every year.

The territory has huge lakes of glacial origin with calm water, which reflect the hills and thermal pools, the water temperature of which is +27 degrees. The largest rivers in the region originate in the park: the Snowy River, the Murray and the Murrumbidgee.

Rare animals found in the park include the mountain couscous, which was thought to be extinct until 1966, and the colorful false toad.

– 4 – Purnululu National Park

– Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park, Western Australia

Purnululu National Park spreads over an area of ​​239,723 hectares, in the north-eastern part of Western Australia, on the Kimberley Plateau. It is one of the most geologically interesting parks in Western Australia, a real open-air museum. In 1987, the park, covering 240 thousand hectares on the Kimberley Plateau, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The nature of these places is truly pristine and untouched - the nearest settlement is 250 km from the park.

In the Kiya Aboriginal language, purnululu means sandstone. Sometimes the park is called Bungle Bungle named after the mountain range of the same name, which is entirely part of the park.

The relief of the park is very diverse - this is the mountain range already mentioned above Bungle-Bangle with an area of ​​45 thousand hectares, extensive sandy plains, grassy lowlands in the Ord River valley and limestone cliffs in the west and east of the park.

Main attraction Purnululu National Park- these are mountain formations of the ridge Bungle-Bangle, which took the form of beehives as a result of erosion processes that lasted 20 million years. These “hives” have an interesting structure - bright orange sandstone alternates with dark stripes several meters wide. The bright orange color is given to them by the oxides of iron and manganese.

The territory of the park was of enormous economic and cultural importance to the aboriginal tribes - about 200 rock paintings of ancient people and burials were found here. But the Europeans, due to the arid climate and inhospitable natural conditions, avoided these places. The first cattle breeders appeared here only at the end of the 19th century, and the amazing mountain formations of the ridge Bungle-Bangle first opened to the world only in 1982!

– 5 – Uluru – Kata Tjuta (Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP)

– Ayers Rock (Uluru), Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, a desert landscape with two gigantic massifs sticking out of the ground - Mt. Uluru and a mountain located 40 km from it Olga or Kata Tjuta. I wonder what Olga is a much more impressive massif - 1069 m in height versus 348 m of Mount Uluru, but it is less popular for pilgrimage. Geologists say that Uluru And Olga are not separate hills, but part of a single mountain range, lying under the thickness of the earth and breaking out only in two places.

Uluru or Ayers Rock- a sacred place for Australian Aborigines. The base of the rock is carved with caves, and their walls are covered with ancient inscriptions and drawings. The size of the caves is impressive: the largest of them reach 800 meters in length and 30 meters in height. Three small lakes even formed in the caves, filling during the rainy season with water seeping through the cracks of the rock. So in the hot summer, when all the springs in the area dried up, the aborigines found here shelter from the hot rays of the sun and life-giving moisture.

With name Uluru There are numerous legends and traditions associated with it. Giant, animal-like dents on a strong stone gave rise to many legends and beliefs among superstitious indigenous Australians. Since ancient times, it was believed that the owner of the red giant, the water python, lived here. Therefore, local residents still come to the foot of the rock to perform a ritual in honor of the natural deity. The mountain giant consists of red sandstone, and it is thanks to its amazing property of changing color that Uluru looks completely different at dawn and sunset.

Ayers Rock located near the southwest corner of the Northern Territory, in the dry red heart of Australia. This colossal orange-brown rock, 2.4 km long and 1.6 km wide, rises 348 meters above the surrounding desert plain and is the world's largest monolith. The first European to see the Ayers Rock monolith was an Australian explorer in 1872. Ernest Gile, who crossed this part of the barren desert. He noticed a rock from the shores of Lake Amadies, but could not reach it. However, a year later an English explorer climbed to the top of the miracle mountain. William Goss. He called the stone block "Ayers Rock" in honor of the Secretary of State of South Australia Henry Ayres.

– 6 – Kakadu National Park

– Gunlom Infinity Pools, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Australia is famous for the richness of its nature. There are amazing landscapes, a unique underwater kingdom, and a diverse animal world. Australian Kakadu National Park is just one of the worthy representatives of its country.

There are amazing plants, many species of birds, fish and animals here. Among them you can find tree frog, octopus, kangaroo, buffalo, crow, as well as the famous huge barramundi fish. A walk along the Alligator River is an opportunity for the most daring travelers to see freshwater crocodiles.

The area itself is very beautiful: cascading waterfalls, a large Ranger uranium mine, and high cliffs. The greatest pride of the park is the “X-ray” rock paintings of ancient tribes, which have survived to this day. They are called X-ray because they depict not only people, but their internal organs. These are the souvenirs left from the ancient tribe, after which the park itself was named.

Kakadu National Park- UNESCO World Heritage Site No. 147. The country's largest national park stretches 200 km from north to south and more than 100 km from east to west in the Alligator Rivers region. The total area of ​​the park is equal to the size of Slovenia or almost half the size of Switzerland.

About half of the park is owned by Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory, and by law the Park Authority leases this land to manage the national park. The aborigines living today in the territory of “Kakadu” (there are about 5 thousand of them) are descendants of various tribes that have lived here since ancient times.

– 7 – Great Sandy NP

– Great Sandy NP, Fraser Island, Queensland

Most of the island, which contains approximately 1,645 km² of intact tropical rainforest, is part of Great Sandy National Park. Freshwater turtles live in well-warmed lakes, and the wild dog Dingo can be found on land. It is strictly forbidden to feed dingoes on the island (fine from $3,000) and you must follow certain rules when meeting them, which the guides will tell you about or read about on the park’s website.

The dunes that make up the island were formed about 400 thousand years ago and have a height of up to 240 m. There are more than 40 fresh “hanging” lakes, which is one of the geographical features of the island. This is unusual for a sandy island, which is washed on all sides by ocean waters. The largest lake covers an area of ​​about 200 hectares, its name is Lake Boemingen. The western coast of Fraser is occupied by mangrove forests and swamps, the eastern coast (facing the ocean) is a beach of fairly white sand about 100 km long. The most popular and accessible lake for swimming (you need to walk three kilometers through the forest and dunes) is Lake Wabbi, the deepest on the island (12 meters).

– 8 – Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair NP

– Cradle Mountain, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair NP, Tasmania

The most beautiful and famous national park in Tasmania, whose official name is Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park. It is located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, 165 km north-west of Hobart. Main points of attraction – the same name Cradle Mountain 1545 meters high and its neighboring Barn Bluff. Stunning views of Cradle can be seen from the north side, where the Dove Lake with the purest clear water. This is also where Overland Track, Australia's most famous multi-day trekking route, stretching 82 km from Cradle Mountain to the opposite end of the park, to Lake St Clair.

The first European to visit the park in 1910 was Gustav Weindorfer. He purchased a plot of land here and in 1912 built a small chalet for guests, which he called Waldheim, which means "forest house". Unfortunately, that chalet has not survived to this day - it burned down in a fire. But in 1976, an exact replica was built here in Cradle Valley. Waldheim, which still receives tourists today. By the way, exactly Gustav Weindorfer and his wife Kate actively campaigned for the area to be given protected status. In 1922, the area between Cradle Mountain And Lake St Clair with an area of ​​64 thousand hectares, it was declared a reserve, and in 1971 - a national park.

In 1935, a 6-day Overland Track route was laid out through the park, which began to offer tours and brought the park extraordinary popularity for its breathtaking views. The rugged contours of Cradle Mountain, ancient rainforests and alpine meadows, picturesque beaches and untouched wildlife are the main assets of the park.

– 9 – Port Campbell National Park (Port Campbell NP)

– Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell NP, Victoria

Park in Victoria, lying on Great Ocean Road, located in the southern part of the state, 190 km southwest of Melbourne, stretched out in a relatively narrow strip along the ocean, with an area of ​​17.5 km². Initially formed as a small area to protect the coastline, now it is 1,750 hectares, including a unique collection of limestone “sculptures”: Twelve Apostles, London Arch(bearing the name of London Bridge before the collapse of the connecting isthmus) and Loch Ard Gorge- a stunning example of many years of natural erosion.

– 10 – Daintree National Park

– Mossman River, Daintree National Park, Queensland

In northern Queensland, 1502 km northwest of Brisbane and 100 km northwest of Cairns, it is located. On 1,200 square kilometers of Australian land, there is a unique tropical forest that has preserved its original appearance. The forest is over 110 million years old, making it the oldest forest on our planet. That is why the forest is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is protected in every possible way from the encroachments of mankind.

Daintree National Park consists of two parts, separated in the middle by an established agricultural area, which includes the town of Mossman and the village of Daintree. This entire area is a habitat for rare bird species. The heart of the park is the Daintree River, which rises in the Great Dividing Range mountains and flows into the Coral Sea.

Daintree National Park– this is also the location of the famous "Jumping Stones" V Thornton Beach. This quiet beach is sacred to the Aboriginal tribe Kuku Yalanji. It was the place where the women of the tribe performed secret rituals of household magic. There is a strict taboo on the beach: people who take stones from this shore could possibly be cursed.

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