Explore Australia’s National Parks infographic
The biggest – Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
At 1.9 million hectares, Kakadu National Park is just as spectacular as you imagine. This World Heritage–listed park contains entire ecosystems, as well as over one-third of the bird species found in Australia. Everything seems bigger and better at Kakadu, not least because the national park has six seasons, rather than the four on which the rest of the world runs.
Situated in Arnhem Land, the park is jointly run by Parks Australia and the traditional owners. Along with majestic natural scenery, you’ll also find man-made wonders, including rock paintings that are estimated to be fifty thousand years old.
You might hear some travellers refer to Kakadu as Kaka-don’t. But the only thing you don’t want to do is miss out on the almost mystical beauty of this park.
The oldest – Royal National Park, New South Wales
Royal National Park is the oldest national park in Australia, and the second oldest in the world after Yellowstone National Park in America. And this grand old dame still knows how to put on a show for visitors, with its untamed sandstone cliffs, hidden swimming holes, stunning beaches and plethora of native plants.
The park has been welcoming visitors since 1879, and was a pleasure garden for Victorians. But in making it a pleasure garden, the Victorians didn’t always make the best decisions, including introducing exotic species and foreign animals, such as deer and rabbits.
Although conservationists have made leaps and bounds in restoring the park to its native glory, especially since the National Parks and Wildlife Service took over management of the park in 1967, you can still see deer meandering (and occasionally stampeding) through the park.
The largest sand island – Great Sandy National Park, Queensland
It seems right that Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, makes its home in Queensland’s Great Sandy National Park. With its long stretches of beaches and huge sand dunes that can reach heights of 230 metres, the island is a mecca for four-wheel drivers.
But even if you aren’t into roaring up sand dunes in a 4WD, you’ll find plenty to interest you, from the spectacular beaches (make sure to check out the shipwrecks off Fraser and Teewah beaches) to the population of dingoes.
The shakiest – Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia
You might feel a little bit shaky after visiting Flinders Ranges National Park. This could be put down to its incredible natural beauty, or the fact that Flinders Ranges experiences around 200 earthquakes a year.
But don’t let this put you off visiting. The majority of earthquakes happen so far underground they are never felt on the surface, but they have shaken a truly spectacular landscape, full of dramatic ridges and mountains, into being.
Le Français – Francois Peron National Park, Western Australia
One thing you might not have known about Napoleon is that he was really interested in Australia. In fact, while he was emperor he authorised numerous expeditions to Australia. It was on one of these expeditions that Francois Peron came to Australia.
Francois Peron was a French naturalist, and wrote about the animals and plants he found in Australia in his book, A Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Hemisphere (1809).
And he would have found plenty to write about in the area that is now Francois Peron National Park. This region is teeming with life, especially off the shores of the national park in Shark Bay Marine Park, where you will find whale sharks, turtles, dugongs, rays and dolphins.
The most mysterious – Mornington Peninsula National Park, Victoria
It’s not every day that the Prime Minister of a country goes missing and is never found again. Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the shores of Mornington National Park in 1967, and is presumed drowned – although some people suspect more sinister conspiracies behind his disappearance.
Today Harold Holt is remembered at the public swimming pool named after him in Melbourne, and his disappearance is one more story in the fascinating history behind this national park, which has also been a quarantine station and a coastal fortress. But people don’t really visit for the history. They visit for the spectacular beaches and cliffs, including the ones watched over by the delightful Cape Schanck Lighthouse.
The biggest conservation battle – Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Tasmania
It was the battle for the Franklin River that really kicked off the conservation movement in Australia. And when you see the incredible natural beauty of this national park, you can see why people were so passionate to save it.
In the late 1970s, the Hydro-Electric Commission proposed to dam the Franklin River. There was a huge outcry protesting this dam, as it would destroy one of Australia’s last wild rivers. The battle for the river passed through politics, the courts and civil disobedience, and eventually resulted in the creation of the Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.
For experienced kayakers, rafting down the river is the best way to see the incredible landscape.
Embed this infographic on your website using this code: <a href=”http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Bookshop/Guides/National-Parks target=”><img src=”http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Australias-National-Parks_free-infographic.jpg” alt=” Australia’s National Parks | Free infographic” border=”0″ /></a>
Photo credits: Aerial wet season, Adelaide River, courtesy Tourism Northern Territory; Great Sandy National Park, Tourism Queensland; Flinders Ranges National Park, Jeff Drewitz; Francois Peron National Park, Jeff Drewitz; Mornington Peninsual, James Lauritz/Tourism Victoria; Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Ted Mead.
