Burleigh Head National Park
Encyclopedia
Burleigh Head is a small national park at Burleigh Heads
on the Gold Coast
in South East Queensland
, Australia
, 81 km southeast of Brisbane
. The park is tiny yet it contains a diverse range of habitats. Tallebudgera Creek
enters the ocean directly south of the park. No camping is permitted in the park. Access is via the Gold Coast Highway
which passes by the park. An information centre is available.
Burleigh Head National Park is a popular place for hiking, walkers and joggers because it located in a cool climate and provides great views. There are two walking tracks in the national park, one climbing the hill to the summit which is about 88 m above sea level, called the Ocean view circuit and another leading around the headland just above sea level called the Rainforest circuit. Watching migrating whales from within the park is another popular activity.
began between 23 to 25 million years ago. At this time the Tweed Volcano
was active. Molten basalt lava from the volcano flowed all the way down the valleys and eroded them all. The valleys were covered in hardened sedimentary rocks before reaching what is now the Burleigh headland. Along Tallebudgera Creek there are rocky platforms and sandy beaches. On the seaside part of the park are black boulders at the base of a cliff.
The headland was an important cultural site for the local Aboriginal tribe known as the Minjungbal people.
palms. There are also areas of heathland and tussock grassland.
, brahminy kite
s, sea eagle
s and koala
s can be found in the park. There are also Lace Monitor
s, Echidna
s, Mountain Brushtail Possum
s, Common Brushtail Possum
s and Common Ringtail Possum
s. Rainbow Lorikeets are commonly seen feeding on blossoms in the park.
Burleigh Heads, Queensland
Burleigh Heads is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Burleigh Heads had a population of 7,606.Burleigh Heads is renowned for its surf break, and is an alternative to the more tourist ridden towns of the Gold Coast...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, 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...
, 81 km southeast 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...
. The park is tiny yet it contains a diverse range of habitats. Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek is a large creek on the Gold Coast which runs from the Springbrook Plateau in the west through Tallebudgera Valley to the southern slopes of Burleigh Mountain at Burleigh Heads and the Pacific Ocean in the east...
enters the ocean directly south of the park. No camping is permitted in the park. Access is via the Gold Coast Highway
Gold Coast Highway
The Gold Coast Highway in Queensland, Australia links the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast. 33 km in length, the highway passes through popular tourist resorts such as Southport, Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads and Currumbin...
which passes by the park. An information centre is available.
Burleigh Head National Park is a popular place for hiking, walkers and joggers because it located in a cool climate and provides great views. There are two walking tracks in the national park, one climbing the hill to the summit which is about 88 m above sea level, called the Ocean view circuit and another leading around the headland just above sea level called the Rainforest circuit. Watching migrating whales from within the park is another popular activity.
Landform
The headland has steep sides and is 80 m in height. The formation of the Burleigh headlandHeadland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
began between 23 to 25 million years ago. At this time the Tweed Volcano
Tweed Volcano
Tweed Volcano was an early Miocene shield volcano in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. In the course of about three million years, Tweed Volcano was formed over the East Australia hotspot when this part of the continent passed over it around 23 million years ago...
was active. Molten basalt lava from the volcano flowed all the way down the valleys and eroded them all. The valleys were covered in hardened sedimentary rocks before reaching what is now the Burleigh headland. Along Tallebudgera Creek there are rocky platforms and sandy beaches. On the seaside part of the park are black boulders at the base of a cliff.
The headland was an important cultural site for the local Aboriginal tribe known as the Minjungbal people.
Flora
The park preserves remnant areas of rainforest and mangrove forests. Western parts are dominated by dry eucalypt forest containing species such as Brush Box, Forest Red Gum and Grey Ironbark. On the seaward facing slopes are Swamp she-oak, native hibiscus tree and PandanusPandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
palms. There are also areas of heathland and tussock grassland.
Fauna
The Australian Brush-turkeyAustralian Brush-turkey
The Australian Brushturkey or Australian Brush-turkey, , also frequently called the Scrub Turkey or Bush Turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in eastern Australia from Far North Queensland to Illawarra in New South Wales...
, brahminy kite
Brahminy Kite
The Brahminy Kite , also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia...
s, sea eagle
Sea Eagle
Sea eagle mainly refers to Sea eagle, birds of prey of the genus Haliaeetus.It may also refer to:-Aerospace:* Sea Eagle , British, anti-ship missile* Sea Eagle * Supermarine Sea Eagle, 1920s British passenger flying boat-Sports:...
s and koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
s can be found in the park. There are also Lace Monitor
Lace monitor
The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, Varanus varius, is a member of the monitor lizard family, Australian members of which are commonly known as goannas. It belongs to the subgenus Varanus....
s, Echidna
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
s, Mountain Brushtail Possum
Mountain Brushtail Possum
The Mountain Brushtail Possum, or Southern Bobuck , is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae native to southeastern Australia...
s, Common Brushtail Possum
Common Brushtail Possum
The Common Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the largest of the possums.Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal...
s and Common Ringtail Possum
Common Ringtail Possum
The common ringtail possum is an Australian marsupial. It lives in a variety of habitats and eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. These dietary factors have, over time, aided burgeoning introduced populations in New Zealand...
s. Rainbow Lorikeets are commonly seen feeding on blossoms in the park.