Deepwater National Park
Encyclopedia
Deepwater is a coastal national park in Queensland
, Australia
, 375 km north of Brisbane
. It protects an area of sand dunes and coastal heaths in the Deepwater Creek catchment. The area is one of the few remaining pristine freshwater catchments on Queensland's east coast. Deepwater National Park was established in 1988 and covers 4,090 ha.
The north of the park is dominated by a 70 m high sand dune which is covered in vegetation. There are some scattered rocky outcrops of volcanic origin including a number of rocky headland
s along the park's 9 km of beach frontage.
Beaches in the part are used for nesting by Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles. Flatback
and green turtles also nest on the park's beaches. This location is the only mainland site where Leatherbacks repeatedly return to lay eggs.
Rose-crowned Fruit Doves, Fairy Gerygone
s and Grey Fantail
s are commonly found in the canopies to the west. Along the beaches Pied Oystercatcher
, Bar-tailed Godwit
s, Tatler
s and Crested Terns are often seen. Emu
s and brahminy kite
s can also be found in the park.
Queensland's largest cockroach Macro-panesthia sp. is found in the park.
No domestic animals or open fires are permitted in the park.
. A 4WD vehicle is recommended for this route due to sandy conditions and the slope.
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...
, 375 km north 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...
. It protects an area of sand dunes and coastal heaths in the Deepwater Creek catchment. The area is one of the few remaining pristine freshwater catchments on Queensland's east coast. Deepwater National Park was established in 1988 and covers 4,090 ha.
The north of the park is dominated by a 70 m high sand dune which is covered in vegetation. There are some scattered rocky outcrops of volcanic origin including a number of rocky headland
Headland
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...
s along the park's 9 km of beach frontage.
Flora and fauna
Vegetation in the park is varies between the seaward and landward side of the high dune. To the east are typical beach plants, on the exposed higher areas the plants appear wind-sheared and to the west in more protected area taller vegetation has formed up to three canopy levels of forest and woodlands.Beaches in the part are used for nesting by Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles. Flatback
Flatback Turtle
The flatback sea turtle is a sea turtle that is endemic to the continental shelf of Australia. Flatback turtles belong to the Cheloniidae, or sea turtle, superfamily and are the only species found in the genus Natator....
and green turtles also nest on the park's beaches. This location is the only mainland site where Leatherbacks repeatedly return to lay eggs.
Rose-crowned Fruit Doves, Fairy Gerygone
Fairy Gerygone
The Fairy Gerygone is a species of bird in the Acanthizidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.-References:* BirdLife...
s and Grey Fantail
Grey Fantail
The Grey Fantail is a small insectivorous bird. A common fantail found in Australia , New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia...
s are commonly found in the canopies to the west. Along the beaches Pied Oystercatcher
Pied Oystercatcher
The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
, Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
s, Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
s and Crested Terns are often seen. 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 and 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 can also be found in the park.
Queensland's largest cockroach Macro-panesthia sp. is found in the park.
Facilities
Camping facilities, pit toilets and picnic tables are located at Wreck Rock, 5.5 km north of the park's southern boundary. A second camp site is located further north at Middle Rock, however there are no facilities here. Picnic facilities for day visitors is provided at Flat Rock.No domestic animals or open fires are permitted in the park.
Access
The park is accessible from the south through Wartburg. Conventional vehicle access possible in the dry season only. Alternative access is possible from the north through Agnes WaterAgnes Water, Queensland
Agnes Water is an increasingly popular tourist town on the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately 50 km east of the Bruce Highway, Queensland's major coastal route. Agnes Water has the most northerly surfing beach on Australia's east coast. At the 2006 census, Agnes Water had a...
. A 4WD vehicle is recommended for this route due to sandy conditions and the slope.