Cape Range National Park
Encyclopedia
Cape Range National Park is a national park in Western Australia
, 1105 kilometres (687 mi) north of Perth
.
The park occupies the western side of the North West Cape
peninsula over an area of 47655 hectares (117,758 acre). The nearest town is Exmouth
. Directly off the coast is the Ningaloo Reef
.
The area resulted from a gradual uplifting from the sea floor followed by fluctuating sea levels, wind and water erosion that have slowly eroded the range and plain leaving behind a range of rugged limestone
, deep canyons and pristine beaches.
The Cape is the only elevated plateau
composed of limestone on the North West Coast. The range has plateaus to an elevation of 314 metres (1,030 ft) and forms the backbone of the peninsula
which extends are far as North West Cape
.
Yardie Creek, a spectacular gorge where the water is trapped by a sandbar, is located within the park.
Over 700 caves are located within the park and it is probable that many others remain undiscovered.
Over 630 species of wildflower are found within the park, that generally bloom toward the end of winter, including the Bird Flower
and the Desert Sturt Pea.
The area was under pastoral lease
beginning in 1876 when J Brockman acquired leases in the area covering North West Cape to run cattle. Brockman sold parts of the lease in 1888 to ornithologist Thomas Carter including Yardie Creek
and Ningaloo Station
. Carter was the first settler in the area and established a pastoral station in 1889 The area was declared a national park in 1964, the off-shore area, Ningaloo Marine Park, was declared in 1987.
An abundance of flora and fauna are found within the park. Flora species include mangroves, acacia
, spinifex
, grevillea
, verticordia
, eucalyptus
and minilya lily. Fauna found within the park include rock wallabies, red kangaroo
s, emu
s, euro
s, 100 different species of bird
and 80 species of reptile
.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, 1105 kilometres (687 mi) north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
The park occupies the western side of the North West Cape
North West Cape
North West Cape is a large peninsula of land in the north west coast of Western Australia. Cape Range runs down the spine of the peninsula and Ningaloo Reef runs along the western edge...
peninsula over an area of 47655 hectares (117,758 acre). The nearest town is Exmouth
Exmouth, Western Australia
-Further reading:* Western Australia. Ministry for Planning. Exmouth-Learmonth structure plan. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission...
. Directly off the coast is the Ningaloo Reef
Ningaloo Reef
Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass....
.
The area resulted from a gradual uplifting from the sea floor followed by fluctuating sea levels, wind and water erosion that have slowly eroded the range and plain leaving behind a range of rugged limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, deep canyons and pristine beaches.
The Cape is the only elevated plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
composed of limestone on the North West Coast. The range has plateaus to an elevation of 314 metres (1,030 ft) and forms the backbone of the peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
which extends are far as North West Cape
North West Cape
North West Cape is a large peninsula of land in the north west coast of Western Australia. Cape Range runs down the spine of the peninsula and Ningaloo Reef runs along the western edge...
.
Yardie Creek, a spectacular gorge where the water is trapped by a sandbar, is located within the park.
Over 700 caves are located within the park and it is probable that many others remain undiscovered.
Over 630 species of wildflower are found within the park, that generally bloom toward the end of winter, including the Bird Flower
Crotalaria cunninghamii
Crotalaria cunninghamii, also known as Green Birdflower or Regal Birdflower, is a plant of the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to, and widespread in, inland northern Australia. It is named after early 19th century botanist Allan Cunningham. It is a coloniser of unstable sand dunes, along...
and the Desert Sturt Pea.
The area was under pastoral lease
Pastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
beginning in 1876 when J Brockman acquired leases in the area covering North West Cape to run cattle. Brockman sold parts of the lease in 1888 to ornithologist Thomas Carter including Yardie Creek
Yardie Creek Station
Yardie Creek or Yardie Creek Station is a pastoral lease and sheep station located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.The area was under pastoral lease beginning in 1876 when J Brockman acquired leases in the area covering North West Cape to run cattle...
and Ningaloo Station
Ningaloo Station
Ningaloo Station is a sheep station located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia about 40 km North of Coral Bay. It is bordered to the north by Cape Range National Park....
. Carter was the first settler in the area and established a pastoral station in 1889 The area was declared a national park in 1964, the off-shore area, Ningaloo Marine Park, was declared in 1987.
An abundance of flora and fauna are found within the park. Flora species include mangroves, acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, spinifex
Spinifex (genus)
Spinifex is a genus of perennial coastal grasses. They are one of the most common plants that grow in sand dunes along the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.. As they help stabilise the sand, these grasses are an important part of the entire sand dune ecosystem. Of the four species...
, grevillea
Grevillea
Grevillea is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees...
, verticordia
Verticordia
Verticordia, a genus of the Myrtaceae family, are woody shrubs with small and exquisite flowers. They are mostly found in Southwest Australia, with several outlier species in northern regions. A revision of the genus in 1991 produced a classification within Verticordia of 3 subgenera, 24 sections,...
, eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
and minilya lily. Fauna found within the park include rock wallabies, red kangaroo
Red Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.-Description:This species is a very...
s, emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s, euro
Eastern Wallaroo
The Eastern Wallaroo also known as the Common Wallaroo or the Hill Wallaroo is part of the Wallaroo family . It is a large, variable species of macropod ....
s, 100 different species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
and 80 species of reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
.