Noosa National Park

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Noosa National Park is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 121 km north of Brisbane. It is situated near Noosa Heads between the Pacific Ocean and the Sunshine Coast's northern area of urban development and extends southwards, past Lake Weyba to Coolum.<ref name="annp"/>

Geography

The 4,000-hectare park is divided into four sections; Headland Section, Peregian Section, Emu Mountain Section and the East Weyba Section.<ref name="annp"/> Noosa National Park is the most popular national park in the country, with more than 1 million visits each year.<ref name="ntr">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Lake Weyba (2099873732).jpg

Lake Weyba

Several beaches in the park provide good locations for swimming.<ref name="discover"/> These beaches are not patrolled. Swimmers should be aware of strong currents at Alexandria Bay. The southern end of Alexandria Bay is unofficially clothing optional.<ref name="annp">Template:Cite web</ref> Rockclimbing, fishing, surfing and snorkeling are other recreational activities undertaken in the park, while camping is banned.<ref name="discover"/>

History

The land area of what is today part of Noosa National Park was formed by a series of landforms, including parabolic high dunes from the Pleistocene era, but also includes sandplains, that have continuously been forming since the Quaternary era. Nearby is Hell's Gate, which has been a sandstone cliff when it created the coves around 190 million years ago.

The early settlers of Noosa Heads set aside a reserve to protect the area in 1879.<ref name="discover">Template:Cite book</ref> The reserve officially became a national park in 1939.<ref name="annp"/>

Advocates for the park's protection were active in the early 1960s when the Noosa Parks Association was formed at time when urban development was threatening the wilderness area.<ref name="dvd">Template:Cite news</ref> A management plan for the park was released in October 1999.<ref name="nnpmp">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2003, an extra 300 hectares at Coolum were added to park.<ref name="mlnnp">Template:Cite news</ref>

Flora

The Headlands Section of the park contains pockets of rainforest where hoop and kauri pines dominate.<ref name="annp"/> There are also areas of open eucalypt forest, wallum heaths, pandanus palms and grasslands.<ref name="discover"/><ref name="xqnp">Template:Cite book</ref> The Peregian Section is known for its wildflowers which blossom in spring, particularly the rare swamp orchid and Christmas bells.<ref name="annp"/><ref name="xqnp"/>

Fauna

A population of koalas is found in the park, as are mammal species such as the short-nosed bandicoot, common ringtail possum, brushtail possum.<ref name="discover"/> Birds such as the eastern ground parrot, glossy black cockatoo, eastern yellow robin, rufous fantail, satin bowerbird and crimson rosella are all found in the park's forests.<ref name="discover"/> Headlands in the park are a popular place to watch migrating humpback whales.<ref name="wne">Template:Cite news</ref> Noosa National Park is also home to endangered species such as the red goshawk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Walking tracks

File:Walkway in Noosa National park Australia.jpg

Walking track in Noosa National park Australia

An oceanway runs from the Noosa River mouth along Hastings Street town centre and then out around the Noosa National Park headlands and beaches to Sunshine Beach.

The highest point in the park is Noosa Hill. One of the walking tracks in the park leads to the top of the 147 m hill.<ref name="discover"/> There are a total of five walking tracks with the longest being 8 km.<ref name="qh">Template:Cite web</ref> Another track leads to Hell's Gate, one of the park's headlands. This track is the most traversed trail in Queensland.<ref name="npnhg">Template:Cite news</ref>