Lakefield National Park
Encyclopedia
Lakefield is a national park in Queensland
, Australia
, 1,707 km northwest of Brisbane
and 340 km north-west of Cairns by road, on Cape York Peninsula
. At 5,370 km2 (2,073 sq. miles) making it bigger than Trinidad and Tobago
and almost as big as Brunei
) Lakefield is the second largest park in Queensland and a popular place for fishing and camping.
The park stretches from Princess Charlotte Bay
in the north to the town of Laura
. It covers 537,000 ha of land, and includes sections of the Normanby River
, Morehead River and North Kennedy Rivers, as well as lakes, billabong
s and wetlands. There are more than 100 permanent riverine lagoon
s in the park.
There is one main, unsealed road through the park but it is impassable through much of the wet season
, when the park closes. There is a ranger station within the park which can assist with information or give help in emergencies.
The first explorer to visit the area by land was Edmund Kennedy
. Another early explorer of the region was William Hann
. Laura Homestead was established in 1892 or earlier and is one of the oldest, intact, pastoral homesteads in the region. Lakefield was gazetted in 1979, after the Queensland Government purchased several cattle station
s the previous year. In 2005, a Townsville man was attacked and killed by a crocodile
while he was canoeing with his wife at the Midway waterhole on the Normanby River.
, sarus crane
, black-necked stork
, comb-crested Jacana
and magpie geese. In the woodland and grassland area the Agile Wallaby
, Northern Nailtail Wallaby and Australian Bustard
may be found.
Threatened species which are found in the park include the Golden-shouldered Parrot
, Star Finch
, Red Goshawk
, Lakeland Downs Mouse
and the Spectacled Hare-wallaby
. Termite mounds are scattered across the park, particularly on the Niland Plain.
Reptiles, amphibia and mammals are also present, sometimes in quite large numbers. Mammals include, dingoes, wallabies,possums, foxes, feral cattle and wild pigs. Wild pigs sometimes reach such large numbers that they have to be culled. Reptiles are represented by numerous species of snakes, with the brown snake
, death adder
and the taipan
being the three most dangerous. Both are very poisonous and potentially lethal. Monitor lizards (goannas) are also fairly numerous, especially the yellow-spotted monitor Varanus panoptes. Frogs are also fairly numerous, especially the green tree frog, Litoria caerulea, but there are many others. The introduced cane toad
is present in the park, and may be competing with some of the native animals. Other introduced species, such as pigs, cattle and horse roam throughout the park.
Tourists should keep well aware that there are numerous crocodiles in the various waterways of the park. The park has the largest concentration of crocodiles, fresh and saltwater in Queensland. There are two species of crocodile in the park: freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater variety are not as big and seek smaller prey and are not so dangerous to humans. The saltwater species can be very large and are potentially dangerous to humans. There have been several crocodile attacks in the park in recent times and some have been fatal. Saltwater crocodiles are a protected species in Australia, and they appear to be breeding successfully, although the habitat is not as suitable as in the Northern Territory where breeding appears to be prolific.
woodland and gallery forest
associated with waterways. There are a variety of eucalypt species, including bloodwoods and Moreton Bay Ash
. Wattles are also relatively common including Northern Black Wattle
and lancewood (northern golden wattle). Paperbarks are also present especially near water, such as the weeping paperbark Weeping Paperbark
. Melaleuca cajuputi is also present and has white bottlebrush-type flowers.
One of the attractive species in the park is the beautiful palm, Corypha utan
. They tend to grow close to waterways and cope well with flooding that occurs during the wet season (monsoon). At the end of the life of the palm, which may be 75 to 100 years, it produces a large terminal inflorescence about a metre high with a prodigious number of flowers. One estimate is that they produce one million flowers. When flowering and seeding is complete the palm dies. Regeneration of Corpyha is quite healthy at Lakefield. The common name for the palm locally is "Kennedy Palm" or "Gebang Palm". Corypha utan is confined to Northern Australia
but is not endemic, being also found in the Philippines and India. Nearer the coast there are also healthy mangrove ecosystems and salt flats.
, tarpon
, catfish
and tarpin. Saltwaters species found in the park include mangrove jack, fingermark, cod
, trevally, queenfish
and salmon
.
or Laura
. The easiest route is via the Peninsula Development Road north of Lakefield on the Mulligan Highway
. The Starcke Track provides another route more popular with four-wheel drive
vehicles. A northern route exists from Coen
via the Musgrave Roadhouse.
It is remote and visitors should stock up on food, petrol and other supplies before leaving Cooktown, Lakefield or Laura. Roads may be closed in the park very shortly after rain to stop the road surface suffering damage.
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...
, 1,707 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...
and 340 km north-west of Cairns by road, on Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
. At 5,370 km2 (2,073 sq. miles) making it bigger than Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and almost as big as Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
) Lakefield is the second largest park in Queensland and a popular place for fishing and camping.
The park stretches from Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay is a large bay on the east coast of Far North Queensland at the base of Cape York Peninsula, 350 km north northwest of Cairns. Princess Charlotte Bay is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and it is a habitat for the dugong....
in the north to the town of Laura
Laura, Queensland
Laura is a small town north of Lakeland in Cook Shire, Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia. It is on the only road north towards the tip of the peninsula, and is the centre for the largest collection of prehistoric rock art in the world. It also forms the northern apex of the...
. It covers 537,000 ha of land, and includes sections of the Normanby River
Normanby River
The Normanby River is a major river in northern Queensland, located on the edge of the Wet Tropics and flowing in a generally north-northwestward direction through seasonally flooded savanna grassland to Princess Charlotte Bay about 150 kilometres from Cooktown....
, Morehead River and North Kennedy Rivers, as well as lakes, billabong
Billabong
Billabong is an Australian English word meaning a small lake, specifically an oxbow lake, a section of still water adjacent to a river, cut off by a change in the watercourse. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end...
s and wetlands. There are more than 100 permanent riverine lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s in the park.
There is one main, unsealed road through the park but it is impassable through much of the wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
, when the park closes. There is a ranger station within the park which can assist with information or give help in emergencies.
Climate
From early December to April is the wettest time in Lakefield National Park. The average rainfall is about 1,200 mm. At the times monsoon rains fall causing the rivers to overspill their banks. In the distinctly drier months, the plains of the Laura Basin become parched and dusty.History
Before Europeans settled in the area around the 1870s, numerous Aboriginal clans occupied the fertile coastal strip. Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are located at Hann and Kalpowar crossings.The first explorer to visit the area by land was Edmund Kennedy
Edmund Kennedy
Edmund Besley Court Kennedy was an explorer in Australia in the mid nineteenth century. He was the Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales, working with Sir Thomas Mitchell...
. Another early explorer of the region was William Hann
William Hann
William Hann was a pastoralist and explorer in northern Queensland, Australia. His expedition in 1872 found the first indications of the Palmer River goldfield.He was born in Wiltshire, England, on 26 February 1837...
. Laura Homestead was established in 1892 or earlier and is one of the oldest, intact, pastoral homesteads in the region. Lakefield was gazetted in 1979, after the Queensland Government purchased several cattle station
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
s the previous year. In 2005, a Townsville man was attacked and killed by a crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
while he was canoeing with his wife at the Midway waterhole on the Normanby River.
Fauna
The park is known for its populations of waterbirds such as the brolgaBrolga
The Brolga , formerly known as the "Native Companion", is a bird in the crane family. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.The Brolga is a common gregarious wetland bird species in...
, sarus crane
Sarus Crane
The Sarus Crane is a large non-migratory crane found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. The tallest of the flying birds, standing at a height of up to 1.8 m , they are conspicuous and iconic species of open wetlands...
, black-necked stork
Black-necked Stork
The Black-necked Stork is a tall long-necked wading bird in the stork family. It is a resident species across South and Southeast Asia with a disjunct population in Australia. It lives in wetland habitats to forage for a wide range of animal prey...
, comb-crested Jacana
Comb-crested Jacana
The Comb-crested Jacana , also known as the Lotusbird or Lilytrotter, is the only species of jacana in the genus Irediparra...
and magpie geese. In the woodland and grassland area the Agile Wallaby
Agile Wallaby
The Agile Wallaby , also known as the Sandy Wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in Australia's north....
, Northern Nailtail Wallaby and Australian Bustard
Australian Bustard
The Australian Bustard, Ardeotis australis, is a large ground bird of grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is also commonly referred to in Central Australia as the Bush Turkey, particularly by Aboriginal people.The male is up to ...
may be found.
Threatened species which are found in the park include the Golden-shouldered Parrot
Golden-shouldered Parrot
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is a rare bird of southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia. A small attractive parrot related to the more common Red-rumped Parrot, it is considered to be a superspecies with the Hooded Parrot The Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) is a...
, Star Finch
Star Finch
The Star Finch is a species of estrildid finch found in Australia. It inhabits dry grassland and dry savanna habitats.-Subspecies:It has three subspecies:...
, Red Goshawk
Red Goshawk
The Red Goshawk is probably the rarest Australian bird of prey. It is found mainly in the savanna woodlands of northern Australia, particularly near watercourses...
, Lakeland Downs Mouse
Lakeland Downs Mouse
The Lakeland Downs Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.Its natural habitat is dry savanna....
and the Spectacled Hare-wallaby
Spectacled Hare-wallaby
The Spectacled Hare-wallaby is a species of macropod found in Australia and New Guinea. In Australia, a small sub-population is found on Barrow Island, while the mainland type is widespread, though in decline, across northern regions of the country.-Description:A species of Lagorchestes,...
. Termite mounds are scattered across the park, particularly on the Niland Plain.
Reptiles, amphibia and mammals are also present, sometimes in quite large numbers. Mammals include, dingoes, wallabies,possums, foxes, feral cattle and wild pigs. Wild pigs sometimes reach such large numbers that they have to be culled. Reptiles are represented by numerous species of snakes, with the brown snake
Pseudonaja
Pseudonaja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes native to Australia. Members are known commonly as brown snakes and are considered to be one of the most dangerous snakes in the country; even young snakes are capable of delivering a fatal envenomation to a human.- Species :* Dugite or Spotted...
, death adder
Acanthophis
Acanthophis is a genus of elapid snakes. Commonly called death adders, they are native to Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands, and are among the most venomous snakes in the world...
and the taipan
Taipan
The taipans are a genus of large, fast, highly venomous Australasian snakes of the elapid family.-Overview:The taipan was named by Donald Thomson after the word used by the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal people of central Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.There are three known species: the coastal...
being the three most dangerous. Both are very poisonous and potentially lethal. Monitor lizards (goannas) are also fairly numerous, especially the yellow-spotted monitor Varanus panoptes. Frogs are also fairly numerous, especially the green tree frog, Litoria caerulea, but there are many others. The introduced cane toad
Cane Toad
The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean...
is present in the park, and may be competing with some of the native animals. Other introduced species, such as pigs, cattle and horse roam throughout the park.
Tourists should keep well aware that there are numerous crocodiles in the various waterways of the park. The park has the largest concentration of crocodiles, fresh and saltwater in Queensland. There are two species of crocodile in the park: freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater variety are not as big and seek smaller prey and are not so dangerous to humans. The saltwater species can be very large and are potentially dangerous to humans. There have been several crocodile attacks in the park in recent times and some have been fatal. Saltwater crocodiles are a protected species in Australia, and they appear to be breeding successfully, although the habitat is not as suitable as in the Northern Territory where breeding appears to be prolific.
Flora
The dominant vegetation in the park is eucalyptEucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
woodland and gallery forest
Gallery forest
Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....
associated with waterways. There are a variety of eucalypt species, including bloodwoods and Moreton Bay Ash
Corymbia tessellaris
Corymbia tessellaris , Carbeen, Moreton Bay Ash, Black Butt.A Ghost gum tree ranging from small to 35 m. tall, forming a lignotuber. Bark rough on lower 1–4 m of trunk, tessellated, dark grey to black, abruptly changing to white-cream smooth bark above that is sometimes powdery...
. Wattles are also relatively common including Northern Black Wattle
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia auriculiformis, commonly known as Auri, Earleaf acacia, Earpod wattle, Northern black wattle, Papuan wattle, Tan wattle, is a fast-growing, crooked, gnarly tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It grows up to 30m tall...
and lancewood (northern golden wattle). Paperbarks are also present especially near water, such as the weeping paperbark Weeping Paperbark
Melaleuca leucadendra
Melaleuca leucadendra is a tree belonging to the Melaleuca genus. The common name, Cajuput Tree, is derived from the Malay word kayu putih - meaning "white wood".-Description:...
. Melaleuca cajuputi is also present and has white bottlebrush-type flowers.
One of the attractive species in the park is the beautiful palm, Corypha utan
Corypha utan
Corypha utan , more commonly known as Gebang Palm, or Cabbage Palm is a large imposing fan palm that reaches up to 20 m high with palm fronds between 4m and 6 m across, growing in areas from India through to the Philippines, down to Australia's Cape York Peninsula.These palms only flower towards...
. They tend to grow close to waterways and cope well with flooding that occurs during the wet season (monsoon). At the end of the life of the palm, which may be 75 to 100 years, it produces a large terminal inflorescence about a metre high with a prodigious number of flowers. One estimate is that they produce one million flowers. When flowering and seeding is complete the palm dies. Regeneration of Corpyha is quite healthy at Lakefield. The common name for the palm locally is "Kennedy Palm" or "Gebang Palm". Corypha utan is confined to Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
but is not endemic, being also found in the Philippines and India. Nearer the coast there are also healthy mangrove ecosystems and salt flats.
Fishing
The national park is one of only a few in Queensland that permit fishing. Fishing is allowed at all campsites and other places with the exception of areas where cultural restrictions apply. Species which may be caught in freshwater include barramundiBarramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
, tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
and tarpin. Saltwaters species found in the park include mangrove jack, fingermark, cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, trevally, queenfish
Queenfish
Queenfish are a species of croaker occurring from Uncle Sam Bank, Baja California, to Yaquina Bay, Oregon; they are the only species in the genus Seriphus. They are common during summer in shallow water around pier pilings on sandy bottoms. They are found at depths up to 180 feet; however, occur...
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
.
Access
It can be accessed by road either through CooktownCooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
or Laura
Laura, Queensland
Laura is a small town north of Lakeland in Cook Shire, Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia. It is on the only road north towards the tip of the peninsula, and is the centre for the largest collection of prehistoric rock art in the world. It also forms the northern apex of the...
. The easiest route is via the Peninsula Development Road north of Lakefield on the Mulligan Highway
Mulligan Highway
The Mulligan Highway is a new state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 270 km between Mareeba and Cooktown, on the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula where it terminates....
. The Starcke Track provides another route more popular with four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
vehicles. A northern route exists from Coen
Coen, Queensland
Coen is a small inland town on the main road heading up the Cape York Peninsula in far northern Queensland, Australia. It is in the Cook Shire Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Coen had a population of 253....
via the Musgrave Roadhouse.
It is remote and visitors should stock up on food, petrol and other supplies before leaving Cooktown, Lakefield or Laura. Roads may be closed in the park very shortly after rain to stop the road surface suffering damage.
Camping
There are many bush campgrounds throughout the park, and two camps with toilets and showers (Kalpowar Crossing Campground and Hanns Crossing Campground). There are other campsites without facilities across the park. Permits are all obtained via self-registration at the boards located throughout the park. Some campsites permit the use of generators that operate at 65 dB or lower. Due to the threat from crocodile attacks camping should not occur within 50 m of any body of water.Further reading
- Ryan, Michelle and Burwell, Colin, eds. 2000. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland: Cooktown to Mackay. Queensland Museum, Brisbane. ISBN 0-7242-9349-3.
- Scarth-Johnson, Vera. 2000. National Treasures: Flowering plants of Cooktown and Northern Australia. Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery Association, Cooktown. ISBN 0-646-39726-5 (pbk); ISBN 0-646-39725-7 Limited Edition - Leather Bound.