Watagans-Nationalpark

The Watagans National Park is a national park in the eastern part of the Australian state of New South Wales, 99 kilometers north of Sydney and 40 km south-west of Newcastle. It is located in the hilly Myall Range and Watagan Range. Southeast of the park is the small town of Martinsville, about 7 km from the Sydney - Newcastle freeway. On the west side on Congewai Creek lies the small town Congewai.

Flora and Fauna

In the park you will find warm temperate rainforest and wet and dry eucalyptus forests.

The area of ​​Watagans National Park is inhabited by mammals such as wallabies, Gleitbeutlern, possums and bats. The birdlife with over 150 species includes extinct endangered owls, like the Powerful Owl, the Sooty Owl, the Masked Owl and Barking Owl.

Amphibian and reptile species in the park also include endangered species of frogs and Stephens Banded Snake (Snake) with a.

Deforestation and reforestation

The early 1820s attracted the first Zedernfäller in the forests of the Myall Range and Watagan Range. This was followed by settlers who hardwood beat that was needed for the growing coal industry. Later sawmills, roads and industrial railways were built to treat the wood and to get out of the forest.

After the establishment of the Forestry Commission in 1916 we reserved the area as state forest. In the 1960s and 1970s began with the reforestation with eucalyptus trees ( Blue - leafed Stringy Bark and Blackbutt ).

1999, the state forest was declared a national park.