Logo
Prev
search
Print
addthis
Rotate
Help
Next
Contents
All Pages
Browse Issues
Home
'
The Road Ahead : December January 2008
Contents
TRAVEL & LEISURE STORY & PHOTOS DANIELLE LANCASTER Shafts of light streamed through the canopy of palm fronds above, as the distinctive 'whip-crack' call of a male Eastern Whipbird rang out through the forest. Nearby, water dripped from a huge tree fern's uncurled shoot. Surrounding me was Tamborine National Park -- Queensland's oldest National Park and the third oldest in the world. This area marks the nor thernmost point of the great Mount Warning shield volcano, tucked into the hinterland 25 km from Sur fers Paradise and 70 km south of Brisbane. Compliments of volcanic activity more than 23 million years ago, the landscape was coated in rich, volcanic ear th. The biggest erosion caldera in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world had been formed. The National Park is actually 13 sections of land that stretch across the 8 km plateau and down adjacent foothills. The Witches Falls section was the first, being declared in 1908. Each section harbours an extraordinar y natural environment, with an abundance of animals and plants. According to the Queensland Environment and Protection Agency, 85 percent of all fauna species and 65 percent of all flora species in the Gold Coast City area can be found here. Ancient cycads, towering piccabeen palm groves, tall flooded gums and water falls running over columnar basalt rock faces speckled with glistening ferns, stags and moss are just some of the attractions. 48 DEC 07/JAN 08 Escape to the mountai Spend some time at Queensland's oldest national park.
Links
Archive
October November 2007
February March 2008
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
