Nightcap National Park
Encyclopedia
Nightcap National Park is in New South Wales
, Australia
, 35 km north of Lismore
. It is classed by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
as Category II. It is part of the Shield Volcano Group of the World Heritage Site
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List
in 2007.
erosion caldera. The landscape in which the park is situated has developed from the erosion
of a large shield volcano
known as the Tweed Volcano
. In places the range rises to more than 900 metres and is one of the state's wettest places.
(discovered in 2000), the Peach Myrtle Uromyrtus australis
and The Minyon Quandong Elaeocarpus sedentarius. The Nightcap and nearby Koonyum Ranges are the only place on earth where the Peach Myrtle and Nightcap Oak can be found, while the Minyon Quandong is virtually endemic and is only known from a single tree outside these ranges. Threatened frog
s include Fleay's Barred Frog
and Masked Mountain Frog Philoria loveridgei.
, so identified by BirdLife International
because it contains the largest known population of vulnerable
Albert's Lyrebird
s, as well as several other significant bird species.
. The park contains Old Googarna Road past Mount Neville, and the Historic Nightcap Track to Mullumbinmby
. From Dunoon
along Terania Creek Road vehicle access is provided to the Terania Creek Basin and Protesters Falls. Protesters Falls was the site of one of the biggest conservation
battles of the late 1970s. Minyon Falls
is a 100m waterfall which rises from a subtropical rainforest valley. It has some popular walking tracks.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 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...
, 35 km north of Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
. It is classed by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
World Commission on Protected Areas
The World Commission on Protected Areas is one of six Commissions of the IUCN . WCPA is the world's premier network of protected area expertise...
as Category II. It is part of the Shield Volcano Group of the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List
Australian National Heritage List
The Australian National Heritage List is a list of places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. The list includes natural, historic and indigenous places...
in 2007.
Geography
The park features a massif of peaks, ridges and gullies on the southern edge of the Mount WarningMount Warning
Mount Warning is a mountain west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border with Queensland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia...
erosion caldera. The landscape in which the park is situated has developed from the erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of a large shield volcano
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
known as 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...
. In places the range rises to more than 900 metres and is one of the state's wettest places.
Flora and fauna
The park is home to a rich diversity of threatened plants and animals including; The Nightcap Oak Eidothea hardenianaEidothea hardeniana
Eidothea hardeniana, commonly known as the Nightcap Oak, is a tree to 40 m tall in the family Proteaceae discovered as a new species in 2000 by botanist Robert Kooyman. The species is listed as Critically Endangered on the Australian Commonwealth EPBC Act and Endangered on the NSW Threatened...
(discovered in 2000), the Peach Myrtle Uromyrtus australis
Uromyrtus australis
Uromyrtus australis, commonly known as the Peach Myrtle, is a small tree growing around Nightcap National Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is endangered by extinction...
and The Minyon Quandong Elaeocarpus sedentarius. The Nightcap and nearby Koonyum Ranges are the only place on earth where the Peach Myrtle and Nightcap Oak can be found, while the Minyon Quandong is virtually endemic and is only known from a single tree outside these ranges. Threatened frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s include Fleay's Barred Frog
Fleay's Barred Frog
The Fleay's Barred Frog is a large species of frog restricted to small pockets of rainforest in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, Australia.-Distribution:...
and Masked Mountain Frog Philoria loveridgei.
Birds
The park lies within the Nightcap Range Important Bird AreaNightcap Range Important Bird Area
The Nightcap Range Important Bird Area is a 157 km2 fragmented tract of land containing several protected areas of rainforest in the Nightcap Range of north-eastern New South Wales, Australia...
, so identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
because it contains the largest known population of vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
Albert's Lyrebird
Albert's Lyrebird
The Albert's Lyrebird is a pheasant-sized songbird, approximately 90cm long, with brown upper body plumage and rich chestnut below. It is very similar with the Superb Lyrebird in its habits. This bird also mimics other species sounds....
s, as well as several other significant bird species.
Access
The park has three main sections. Access to the Mount Nardi section, including Tuntable Falls and the Pholis Walk to Pholis Gap, is via sealed road from NimbinNimbin, New South Wales
Nimbin is a village in the Northern Rivers area of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately 30 km north of Lismore, 33 km southeast of Kyogle, and 70 km west of Byron Bay....
. The park contains Old Googarna Road past Mount Neville, and the Historic Nightcap Track to Mullumbinmby
Mullumbimby, New South Wales
Mullumbimby is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire, and is colloquially referred to as The Biggest Little Town in Australia. It lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about from the sea...
. From Dunoon
Dunoon, New South Wales
Dunoon is a small village within the City of Lismore LGA in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Dunoon had a population of 372 people...
along Terania Creek Road vehicle access is provided to the Terania Creek Basin and Protesters Falls. Protesters Falls was the site of one of the biggest conservation
Conservation in Australia
Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia...
battles of the late 1970s. Minyon Falls
Minyon Falls
Minyon Falls is a waterfall in the Nightcap National Park, New South Wales, Australia. Standing at over high, this waterfall is a popular visitor attraction and is located within easy reach of the nearby town of Byron Bay....
is a 100m waterfall which rises from a subtropical rainforest valley. It has some popular walking tracks.
External links
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water - Nightcap National Park